Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, has raised concerns over the Nigerian government’s handling of education, particularly President Bola Tinubu’s student loan initiative, arguing that it fails to address fundamental issues in the sector.
Speaking on Arise Television’s Prime Time program on April 1, 2024, Obi dismissed claims by the presidency that its educational investments were yielding positive results, insisting that no tangible impact was evident anywhere in the country.
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During a visit to an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in Abuja, Obi was alarmed to find that over 4,000 displaced individuals, including children, had no access to primary education. According to him, the only school that once served the camp—built by UNICEF—had been shut down for three years.
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He criticized the government’s focus on student loans for tertiary institutions when millions of Nigerian children remain out of school. “Universal Basic Education is supposed to be a priority, yet over 20 million children are out of school. I visited an IDP camp today with 4,000 people, and they have no primary school or healthcare facility. If this is the reality in Abuja, the nation’s capital, what happens in other parts of the country?” he questioned.
Obi further challenged the government to provide concrete evidence of its educational reforms. “We claim education is free and compulsory, yet children in IDP camps lack even the most basic schools. Where exactly is the money being invested?” he asked.
