“The Minister’s admission is tragic,” Obi declared on X, reacting to the government’s U-turn on the junior-senior secondary school split a policy now being scrapped after officials admitted it failed to boost learning outcomes.
But for Obi, the policy isn’t the problem. The problem is 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, pointing to abysmal exam data: just 38.32% of candidates passed both English and Maths in the 2024 WASSCE, while only 32% cleared the 2025 computer-based test.
“These figures are a national disgrace,” he added.
Obi laid the blame squarely at the feet of a government that talks big but budgets small. He slammed the ₦3.52 trillion allocated to education in the 2026 budget a meagre 6.17% of total spending, far below UNESCO’s 15–20% benchmark.
“This low allocation indicates a failure to recognise education as a driver of sustained economic growth,” he warned.
The former Anambra governor also called out the hypocrisy of a government that funds “irrelevant international conferences” while failing to sponsor Nigerian students to global science competitions due to a lack of funds.
“It is heartbreaking,” he said.
Contrasting federal failure with his own record, Obi reminded Nigerians how Anambra State under his watch became a model for educational transformation. From providing laptops, generators, and internet connectivity to securing recognition from HP Africa for the largest school-laptop procurement by any subnational government on the continent, Obi insisted that committed leadership makes all the difference.
“We proved that committed leadership can transform educational outcomes,” he said.
He closed with a stark warning: “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.”
With over 20 million pupils dropping out before senior secondary school and only 15,000 JSS facilities to serve 80,000 primary schools Obi argues the crisis is not one of structure, but of will. And until the government treats education as an emergency, he says, “A New Nigeria” will remain a distant dream.
