Peter Obi Says Education Drives National Development, Donates ₦10m to Anambra School

The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, Mr. Peter Obi, has declared that education drives national development, stressing that Nigeria’s persistent underdevelopment results from the government’s failure to invest in quality learning.

Obi made this assertion on Friday during his visit to St. John Vienney Science College, Ukwulu, Anambra State, where he celebrated the school’s remarkable international science victory in a competition held in June 2025.

According to him, education drives national development by transforming human capital into a nation’s most valuable asset. He explained:

“The biggest asset of any nation is its people, human capital. And the most meaningful investment is in education. No nation can develop without prioritizing learning. If oil made a country rich, Venezuela would be the wealthiest in the world. They have ten times more oil than Nigeria. But it’s not about oil—it’s about knowledge.”

During the event, Obi presented a ₦10 million cheque to the school to commend the students’ achievement in winning the UK-Nigeria debate competition after defeating numerous international schools.

He urged the students to keep working hard, emphasizing that education drives development and is the surest way to become great and impactful in life.

Obi also criticized successive governments for neglecting critical sectors such as education, praising the school’s proprietor, Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Obimma, for taking the initiative to fill the gap where the government has failed.

“This is the problem with Nigeria,” Obi said. “Our leaders are too busy celebrating, consuming, and wasting everyone’s time. We thank God for people like you.”