Peter Obi, the National Democratic Party presidential candidate, has berated the federal government’s handling of the education sector, arguing that the failure of the policy separating junior and senior secondary schools reflects years of poor funding and weak leadership rather than flaws in the policy itself.
Obi said this on X on Friday while reacting to the federal government’s decision to phase out the policy after acknowledging that it had failed to improve learning outcomes.
“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,” Obi wrote.
Citing examination statistics, Obi mentioned that only 38.32 percent of candidates passed both English Language and Mathematics in the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination, while about 32 percent passed the computer-based WASSCE in 2025.
According to the former Anambra governor, the persistent poor performance underscores a deeper crisis in Nigeria’s education system.
“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 prioritizing education, healthcare, and job creation to lift millions of unemployed youths out of poverty,” he said.
Obi stated that Nigeria’s investment in education is inadequate, with only ₦3.52tn allocated in the 2026 budget, falling short of UNESCO’s recommended threshold of 15 to 20%.
“This low allocation indicates a failure to recognize education as a driver of sustained economic growth,” he stated.
Obi also lamented reports that Nigeria failed to sponsor students to international science competitions because of inadequate funding.
“It is heartbreaking that the government can sponsor hundreds to irrelevant international conferences yet fail to support its brightest students on the world stage,” he said.
Obi claimed that the education crisis was caused by the government’s failure to adequately execute and finance the system, rather than the structure separating junior and senior secondary schools.
“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,” he said.
Highlighting his achievements in Anambra State, Obi stated that his administration revolutionized education via persistent investment in infrastructure and technology.
“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 recognized by HP Africa, which declared that Anambra had procured the largest number of laptops for schoolchildren of any subnational government in Africa,” he added.
He called on the government to prioritize investment in education, healthcare, and job creation, warning that neglecting those sectors would have long-term consequences.
“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,” Obi said.
His comments come after Dr. Tunji Alausa, minister of education, announced that the federal government would phase out the policy of separating junior secondary schools from senior secondary schools after data revealed that more than 20 million students dropped out before reaching the senior secondary level.
The minister stated that the policy had failed to accomplish its goals, noting an imbalance of over 80,000 public primary schools and only about 15,000 junior secondary schools nationally, which has contributed to overcrowding in JSS facilities and high dropout rates.
