Peter Obi slams FG education management, low budget fuels dropout fears
Peter Obi criticized the Federal Government for poor management of education, pointing to its admission that the policy separating junior and senior secondary schools has failed. He noted WAEC results showing only 38.32% of candidates passed English and Mathematics in 2024 and 32% passed the computer-based WASSCE in 2025. Obi said the 2026 budget allocated N3.52 trillion to education, just 6.17% of total expenditure, down from 7.87% in 2025 and far below UNESCO's recommended 15-20%. He warned that neglecting education hurts human capital development, job creation and that neglect hurts human capital development, job creation, and poverty reduction, contrasting with Asian nations that succeeded through sustained investment in curriculum, teacher motivation, and learning environments. The government plans to end the JSS/SSS split because it contributes to rising dropout rates. Obi argued the issue is not the policy itself but the lack of commitment to fund, manage, and deliver quality education. With education funding far below international benchmarks, will you demand better budget allocation from your representatives, support community learning initiatives, or hold leaders accountable for the sector's neglect of WAEC results showing only 38.32% of candidates passed English and Mathematics in 2024 and 32% passed the computer-based WASSCE in 2025. Obi said the 2026 budget allocated N3.52 trillion to education, just 6.17% of total expenditure, down from 7.87% in 2025 and far below UNESCO's recommended 15-20%. He warned that neglect hurts human capital development, job creation, and poverty reduction, contrasting with Asian nations that succeeded through sustained investment in curriculum, teacher motivation, and learning environments. The government plans to end the JSS/SSS split because it contributes to rising dropout rates. Obi argued the issue is not the policy itself but the lack of commitment to fund, manage, and deliver quality education. With education funding far below international benchmarks, will you demand better budget allocation from your representatives, support community learning initiatives, or hold leaders accountable for the sector's neglect?