By Oyinkansayo Wole-Bodunde
Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, has expressed deep concern over Nigeria’s education system, stating the recent Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) results.
According to Obi, the poor performances show long-standing issues in the education sector.
The latest UTME results show that out of 1,955,069 candidates, only 412,415 (21.5%) scored above 200, the minimum score for university admission. This means almost 79% of candidates scored below the cut off.
– 4,756 candidates scored 320 and above
– 7,658 scored between 300 and 319
– 73,441 scored between 250 and 299
– 334,560 scored between 200 and 249
– 983,187 scored between 160 and 199
– 488,197 scored between 140 and 159
Obi compared Nigeria’s university enrollment numbers to those of other countries, highlighting the need for reform. He said, “Currently, Nigeria’s total university enrollment stands at approximately 2 million students. By comparison, the National University of Bangladesh — a single university — has over 3.4 million students enrolled, despite the country having only about 75% of Nigeria’s population. One university in Bangladesh surpasses the entire university enrollment in Nigeria. 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). Similarly, Turkey, with a population of about 87.7 million people, has over 7 million university students — more than three times Nigeria’s total university enrolment,”
Obi emphasized the importance of education in national development and poverty reduction. He said, “I have consistently said it, education is not just a social service; it is a strategic investment. It is the most critical driver of national development and the most powerful tool for lifting people out of poverty,”
Obi urged governments to prioritize education and invest at all levels to build a prosperous and equitable Nigeria.
