Former Anambra State Governor and Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has reiterated that education remains the single most important driver of Nigeria’s national renewal and long-term prosperity.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, January 14, 2026, Obi argued that the nation’s future strength will not be determined by its vast natural resources, oil wealth, or material endowments, but by the quality of its human capital and that investing heavily in education is the only sustainable way to build it.
“Education is the cornerstone of any serious national renewal,” Obi said. “Countries that have transformed from poverty to prosperity did not do so through natural resources alone; they did it through deliberate, massive investment in their people through education, skills, innovation, and knowledge.”
He pointed to global examples, including Singapore, South Korea, and Finland, which rose from modest beginnings to become economic powerhouses primarily through prioritising education and human development.
Obi lamented Nigeria’s current state, where public education has suffered from chronic underfunding, decaying infrastructure, and recurring strikes, leading to millions of out-of-school children and a growing skills deficit.
“Nigeria cannot continue to rely on oil or minerals that will eventually deplete. Our real and enduring wealth lies in our people educated, skilled, innovative, and productive people. Until we treat education as a national emergency and invest in it like our survival depends on it, we will remain trapped in cycles of poverty, unemployment, and underdevelopment,” he stated.
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The former governor called for a national emergency declaration on education, increased budgetary allocation to at least 15–20% of the annual budget (in line with UNESCO recommendations), teacher retraining, curriculum reform, and incentives to attract the best minds back to teaching.
Obi’s statement comes amid renewed national debate on education funding following the recent historic agreement between the Federal Government and ASUU, which promises improved welfare for lecturers and revitalisation funds for universities.
By Ogungbayi Beedee Adeyemi
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