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.
