The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) Presidential Candidate for the 2027 election, Peter Obi, has said that tackling the education crisis in Nigeria must involve a fundamental structural change, not just policy.

Obi wrote on his X handle on Friday that the educational crisis in Nigeria ‘Calls for Fundamental Change, Not Just Policy’.

According to him, “The Federal Government has finally admitted to its poor management of the education sector. Recently, the Minister of Education acknowledged that the policy separating junior and senior secondary schools has failed to improve educational outcomes. This is evident in recent examination results. In 2024, the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) reported that only 38.32% of candidates passed English and Mathematics in the WASSCE. In 2025, only 32% passed the computer-based WASSCE.

“This poor performance has been consistent across major examinations over the past two years.

“This admission is tragic because education is the most vital contributor to human capital development, which forms the foundation for growth and economic development of any society. We cannot overcome economic stagnation without prioritising education, healthcare, and job creation to lift millions of unemployed youths out of poverty. As successful Asian nations have demonstrated, educational excellence requires sustained investment in curriculum development, motivated teachers, and better learning environments.

“Unfortunately, the government continues to neglect the sector. In the 2026 budget, education received only ?3.52 trillion, just 6.17% of total expenditure, down from 7.87% in 2025, and well below UNESCO’s recommended 15–20%. This low allocation indicates a failure to recognise education as a driver of sustained economic growth.

“Education advocate, Mr Alex Onyia, recently revealed that Nigeria failed to sponsor students to the International STEM and Mathematics Olympiads due to a lack of funding. It is heartbreaking that the government can sponsor hundreds to irrelevant international conferences yet fail to support its brightest students on the world stage.

“The Minister’s admission reflects a broader failure of public leadership. The issue is not the JSS/SSS policy itself, but the lack of commitment to properly fund, manage, and deliver quality education.

“In Anambra State, we proved that committed leadership can transform educational outcomes. Through effective funding, oversight, provision of laptops, generators, internet connectivity, and other learning aids, we turned the sector around. For example, our effort in providing computers across all secondary schools (public and private in the state) was recognised by the HP Africa Head, who declared that Anambra had procured the largest number of laptops for school children of any subnational government in Africa.

“For the future of our society, we must deliberately invest in education, healthcare, and job creation. As I have always said, failing to do the right things is equivalent to abusing society, and the society we abuse today will take its revenge on us and our children tomorrow. A New Nigeria is Possible.”

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