Obi blames weak leadership for education crisis

The presidential candidate of the National Democratic Party, Peter Obi, has criticized the Federal Government’s management of the education sector, contending that the failure of the policy separating junior and senior secondary schools stems from prolonged underfunding and weak leadership rather than flaws in the policy itself. Obi stated this on Friday via his official handle on the X platform while reacting to the announcement by the Federal Government to phase out the policy after admitting it failed to enhance learning outcomes.

Obi wrote, “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,”

Pointing to performance metrics, the former governor noted that only 38.32 per cent of candidates passed both English Language and Mathematics in the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination, while approximately 32 per cent recorded passes in the computer-based WASSCE in 2025. He maintained that the consistent decline in performance highlights a deeper crisis within the educational framework of Nigeria.

He stated, “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,”

Obi argued that financial allocations to the sector remain insufficient, noting that education received ₦3.52tn in the 2026 budget. He pointed out that this represents a mere 6.17 per cent of the total expenditure, falling significantly below the global benchmark of 15 to 20 per cent recommended by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation.

He noted, “This low allocation indicates a failure to recognise education as a driver of sustained economic growth,”

The politician also decried reports indicating that the country could not sponsor its students to international science competitions due to a lack of funds. He noted, “It is heartbreaking that the government can sponsor hundreds to irrelevant international conferences yet fail to support its brightest students on the world stage,”

Obi insisted that the current educational crisis did not arise from the JSS and SSS structure itself but rather from the government’s inability to properly finance and implement the system. He said, “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,”

Drawing on his administrative record in Anambra State, Obi explained that his government transformed the educational landscape through deliberate investments in learning infrastructure and modern technology.

He added, “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. Our effort in providing computers across all secondary schools, both public and private, was recognised by HP Africa, which declared that Anambra had procured the largest number of laptops for school children of any subnational government in Africa,”

He admonished the current administration to urgently prioritize funding for education, healthcare, and employment, warning that neglecting these critical sectors would result in severe long-term socio-economic consequences.

Obi concluded, “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,”

The criticism follows an announcement by the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, that the Federal Government would abolish the policy of separating Junior Secondary Schools from Senior Secondary Schools. The minister revealed that data showed more than 20 million pupils drop out before transitioning to senior secondary education. Alausa explained that the policy failed to yield its intended goals, pointing to a severe imbalance between approximately 80,000 public primary schools and only about 15,000 junior secondary schools across the country, a situation that has led to extreme overcrowding in JSS facilities and high dropout rates.