Obi expresses concern over dismal 2025 UTME results, says they reflect failing education system
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) has expressed concern over the dismal results of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), saying they reflect Nigeria’s failing education system.
Only 1.5 million out of the 1.9 million candidates scored 200 marks and above, according to JAMB – meaning only 400,000 or 21 per cent did.
Obi described the figures as “the consequences of decades of underinvestment in education” in his reaction on X and stressed that the poor performance highlights deep rooted structural challenges in Nigeria’s education system.
“The latest JAMB results once again highlight the consequences of decades of underinvestment in education, a sector that should be central to our national development strategy,” he said.
Drawing comparisons with other countries, Obi noted that Nigeria’s total university enrollment is about two million students, dwarfed by other developing nations.
He reiterated the National University of Bangladesh alone has over 3.4 million students, despite the country having only about 75 per cent of Nigeria’s population.
“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).”
Obi also referred to Turkey, a country with a population of about 87.7 million, which currently has over seven million university students, more than three times Nigeria’s enrollment.
He repeated his long-standing position that education should not be seen merely as a social service, but as a critical strategic investment.
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