FORMER presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) Peter Obi has expressed concern over the poor performance recorded in the recently released results of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
In a statement on Monday night, May 5, via his X handle, Obi said the results reflect a deep-rooted crisis in Nigeria’s education sector caused by decades of underfunding.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) on Monday revealed that out of 1,955,069 candidates who sat for the examination, 1,534,654 scored below 200, the benchmark used for admissions into most competitive federal universities.
Only 420,415 candidates crossed the 200 mark, while just 12,414 (0.63 per cent) scored 300 and above.
Further breakdown of the UTME results showed that 983,187 candidates scored between 160 and 199; 488,197 scored between 140 and 159; and 57,419 scored between 120 and 139. Over 5,800 candidates scored below 120, including 2,031 who scored under 100.
The Board also disclosed that 40,247 underage candidates participated in the exam, but only 467 of them met the threshold for further assessment.
Reacting to the development, Obi stressed that meaningful development would remain elusive if the country continues to neglect education.
Citing global comparisons, Obi regretted that countries like Bangladesh and Turkey have far outpaced Nigeria in educational advancement, despite having fewer resources and populations.
“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,” Obi stressed.
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 per cent 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 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 enrollment,” he said.
The former Labour Party presidential candidate reiterated his call for an aggressive investment in the education sector, saying Nigeria cannot make meaningful progress without prioritising learning at all levels.
“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.
“We must now invest aggressively in education — at all levels — if we are serious about building a prosperous, secure, and equitable Nigeria,” he said
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: umustapha@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M