“Weak leadership” — Peter Obi slams Tinubu’s government over education crisis

National Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s administration over its handling of Nigeria’s education sector following the Federal Government’s decision to end the policy that separated junior and senior secondary schools.

In a post shared on X on Friday, Obi said the policy did not fail because it was poorly designed. Instead, he argued that years of inadequate funding, poor implementation, and weak leadership were responsible for its failure to improve learning outcomes.

His reaction came after the Minister of Education admitted that the policy had not achieved its intended goals and announced plans to phase it out. Obi described the government's admission as proof of poor management of the education sector.

To support his argument, the former Anambra State governor pointed to recent examination results. He noted that only 38.32 per cent of candidates passed both English Language and Mathematics in the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE). He also said that only about 32 per cent of candidates passed the computer-based WASSCE in 2025, describing the figures as evidence of a deepening education crisis.

Obi warned that the continued decline in educational performance poses a serious threat to Nigeria’s future. He stressed that education remains the foundation of human capital development and is essential for economic growth and national progress.

He added that Nigeria cannot overcome its economic challenges unless the government gives greater attention to education, healthcare, and job creation, saying these sectors are key to reducing poverty and creating better opportunities for millions of unemployed young people.