Dare Babalola
Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, on Wednesday, raised concerns over Nigeria’s education sector, insisting that the crisis is not rooted in funding shortages but in poor leadership, weak accountability and governance failures.
In a statement titled “Education Challenge: Not Funding but Failure of Leadership and Accountability,” Obi faulted recent comments by the Minister of Education, describing them as “quite alarming” given existing outcomes in key regions of the country.
According to him, “Despite receiving nearly 80% of educational donor funding over the last ten years, the North-West and North-East regions still show the lowest literacy and numeracy rates in Nigeria.”
He argued that the situation reflects deeper systemic issues beyond budget allocations.
“This issue goes beyond just a lack of funding; it highlights failures in leadership, accountability, and governance,” he said, adding that “financial resources alone do not guarantee proper education.”
Obi further warned against what he described as misplaced celebrations of spending without results.
“We cannot continue to commend government budgets, donor contributions, and various intervention programs while millions of children in Nigeria still lack basic reading and writing skills,” he said.
He stressed that Nigeria’s development depends on prioritising human capital, stating that “Nigeria’s most valuable asset is not its oil, politics, or propaganda. It resides in the human capital of our youth.”
Calling for urgent reform, Obi said the Minister’s remarks should trigger a national conversation on transparency and impact in education spending.
“Every kobo spent on education must lead to clear improvements in literacy rates, school enrollment, teacher performance, and overall learning outcomes,” he stated.
He added that Nigeria must move from rhetoric to results, urging investment in infrastructure, teacher training and system-wide monitoring, warning that failure to do so would perpetuate cycles of poverty, insecurity and unemployment.
Obi concluded that “a nation’s progress is closely linked to the quality of its education system,” insisting that “a brighter future for Nigeria is achievable.”
