•Peter Obi with children in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja
Presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has expressed concern over the disruption of public school activities in parts of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, saying children must not be left out of school because of unresolved industrial disputes.
Obi raised the concern after visiting Sheda and Sheda Galadima in Kwali Area Council of the FCT, where he said he encountered a large number of school-age children around market areas on a school day, reports The Guardian.
According to him, conversations with the children revealed that they had been at home for more than two weeks because of the teachers’ strike.
The former Anambra State governor described the situation as troubling, particularly given Nigeria’s already high number of out-of-school children.
He said the country could not make meaningful progress while millions of children remained outside the classroom and governments failed to invest adequately in education, healthcare and poverty reduction.
“Education remains the most important tool for development and nation-building,” Obi said, arguing that countries that have achieved significant development invested in education, healthcare and measures to lift citizens out of poverty.
He blamed Nigeria’s rising poverty partly on inadequate investment in critical sectors, particularly education, and called for a renewed focus on human development.
Obi also questioned the contrast between political activities and the challenges facing ordinary Nigerians, noting that political parties were inaugurating campaign councils while children in affected communities remained out of school.
“So, while we are busy inaugurating campaign councils with pomp and pageantry and declaring economic miracles, our young children of school age are loitering in the streets because of a strike, in a nation with already over 18 million out-of-school children,” he said.
He urged the relevant authorities to take immediate steps to resolve the dispute and ensure that pupils in public schools across the FCT return to their classrooms.
Obi said education, healthcare and poverty reduction would be priorities under his leadership, insisting that children and their future must occupy a central place in government decisions.
“It is time to put our children and the future of our country back at the centre of governance and government decision as,” he said.
He concluded with his campaign message: “A New Nigeria is POssible, and Nigeria will be OK.”
