Former presidential candidate, Peter Obi has expressed deep concern over the recently released results of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, describing the figures as a discouraging reflection of Nigeria’s failing education system.
In a statement shared via his official X page on Monday, reacting to the development, Obi criticized saying “the consequences of decades of underinvestment in education”;.
He emphasized that the poor performance highlights deep rooted structural challenges within Nigeria’s education system.
“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.
Drawing comparisons with other countries, Obi noted that Nigeria’s total university enrollment stands at approximately 2 million students, a figure dwarfed by other developing nations.
He pointed out that the National University of Bangladesh alone has over 3.4 million students, despite the country having only 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 referred to Turkey, a country with a population of about 87.7 million, which currently has over 7 million university students more than three times Nigeria’s total enrollment.
Obi repeated his long-standing position that education should not be seen merely as a social service, but as a critical strategic investment.
“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.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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