Obi laments poor WASSCE performance, calls for increased education investment

Former Governor of Anambra State and 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has raised concerns over the recent announcement by the West African Examinations Council revealing a 7.69 per cent decrease in the performance of candidates who sat for the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination in Nigeria.

WAEC had on Monday, August 12, announced the release of the results for the 2024 WASSCE.

WAEC’s Head of Nigeria Organisation, Amos Dangut, stated that the exam which was the first conducted under his term was a success.

“WAEC is releasing its results today as out of 1,805, 216 that entered for the exam, 1,332, 089 candidates have credits in five subjects including any subjects with either Mathematics or English language and 1,301, 949 candidates got credits in five subjects including Mathematics and English language accounting for 72.9% of total candidates.

“This is a 7.6 per cent decrease in examination performance compared to last year of 2023 WASSCE. Also 215, 267 results were withheld due to examination malpractice by the candidates. This accounts for 11.92% of the total number of candidates who wrote the examination,” Dangut said.

In a statement on Monday, August 19, via X, Obi described the decline as a stark reminder of the country’s insufficient investment in critical areas such as education, health, and poverty alleviation.

Citing the WAEC report, he said, “Compared to last year’s 79.81 per cent, WAEC said the percentage of candidates who obtained credits and above in a minimum of five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics this year, is 72.12 per cent.”

The former governor emphasised that this drop in educational performance, alongside other key sectors, demands immediate attention and action.

He highlighted Nigeria’s literacy rate, which, despite being claimed to be over 50%, still ranks the country at 187 on the global literacy scale. This, he said, “reflects a visible lack of commitment to education in the country.”

Obi also criticised the allocation of funds to the education sector, pointing out that the total capital expenditure for the entire education sector, including the Universal Basic Education Commission, was a mere N330.3 billion.

He argued that this amount is grossly inadequate for a country with about 81,520 primary schools and 23,550 secondary schools.

“Our investment in education, as with other critical areas, remains poor,” he added.

Drawing from his experience as governor of Anambra State, Obi referenced the improvements made in the state’s educational system under his administration.

“The aggressive investment in education we made in Anambra State greatly transformed education in the State, and still bears fruits to this day,” he said.

Obi further congratulated the students who sat for the 2024 WASSCE, particularly those who achieved impressive results.

“I applaud their efforts, hard work, and dedication to their studies, which paid off,” he said.

He also extended his appreciation to the schools, management, staff, and teachers, acknowledging their vital contributions to the educational growth and overall development of society.