Peter Obi, a former presidential candidate, has expressed serious concerns over the recently released 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) results. He described them as a troubling reflection of Nigeria’s struggling education sector.

Sharing his reaction on Monday via his official X page, Obi criticized the poor performance, attributing it to the longstanding neglect of education by successive governments. He highlighted that this trend underscores the deep-rooted structural challenges facing the country’s education system.

In his words, “The poor UTME results reflect decades of neglect in education, which should be at the heart of our national development agenda.”

Obi further compared Nigeria’s education data with that of other nations. He disclosed that Nigeria’s total university enrollment stands at about 2 million students, while Bangladesh’s National University alone has over 3.4 million students, despite Bangladesh having a smaller population than Nigeria.

He also pointed out that Turkey, with a population of roughly 87.7 million, has over 7 million university students, more than three times Nigeria’s total enrollment. These comparisons underline the urgent need for Nigeria to revamp its educational system to compete globally.

Reiterating his position, Obi emphasized that education is not just a social service but a strategic investment. He described it as the most effective tool for national development and a powerful means of eradicating poverty.

He urged the government to take immediate steps to increase investments in education at all levels, arguing that this is vital for building a secure, prosperous, and fair Nigeria.