Former presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has reacted to the recently released 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) results, describing them as a troubling indicator of Nigeria’s deteriorating education system.
In a statement posted on his official X handle on Monday, Obi attributed the poor performance of candidates to long-standing neglect of the education sector by successive governments.
“The latest JAMB results once again highlight the consequences of decades of underinvestment in education, a sector that should be central to our national development strategy,” Obi said.
He lamented that the country’s university enrollment remains abysmally low compared to other developing nations.
According to him, Nigeria’s total university enrollment stands at around 2 million students—a number significantly lower than that of other nations with comparable or smaller populations.
Obi highlighted that the National University of Bangladesh alone has over 3.4 million students, despite Bangladesh having just about 75% of Nigeria’s population.
“Bangladesh, which once lagged behind Nigeria in virtually every measurable development index, now surpasses us in all key areas of development and in the Human Development Index (HDI),” he added.
He also pointed to Turkey, with a population of roughly 87.7 million, noting that the country boasts over 7 million university students—more than three times Nigeria’s enrollment figure.
Reiterating his consistent advocacy for educational reform, Obi urged stakeholders to prioritize education as a national investment rather than a social obligation.
“Education is the most critical driver of national development and the most powerful tool for lifting people out of poverty,” he stressed.
“We must now invest aggressively in education at all levels if we are serious about building a prosperous, secure, and equitable Nigeria,” he stated.
