Abayomi Mighty, Nigeria’s 2027 presidential contender, has strongly criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration over what he described as “systemic neglect and underfunding of Nigeria’s education sector.”
Speaking in Abuja during a policy roundtable on human capital development, Abayomi Mighty lamented the deteriorating state of public education, with dilapidated classrooms, unpaid teachers, outdated curricula, and alarming out-of-school children rates now surpassing 20 million nationwide.
He said, “A nation that abandons its education sector mortgages its future. Today, we see a government that prioritises luxury governance budgets over the training of teachers, research development, and infrastructural upgrades in schools.”
Abayomi Mighty condemned the persistent strikes by tertiary institutions, driven by unpaid salaries, poor welfare, and lack of research funding, stressing that no serious government would allow universities to shut down while politicians receive jumbo allowances and fleet maintenance allocations.
He stated that, under his presidency, education will be the cornerstone of national development, pledging to:
1. Allocate at least 20% of the national budget to education, meeting UNESCO standards
2. End recurrent strikes through sustainable funding and honest negotiations with academic unions
3. Modernise Nigeria’s curriculum, incorporating digital skills, critical thinking, and innovation
4. Invest in teacher training and welfare, restoring dignity to the profession
5. Strengthen vocational and technical education, equipping youths with employable skills for industrial growth
Abayomi Mighty emphasised that his government will prioritise the education of the girl-child, inclusive education for special needs students, and national scholarship schemes to empower indigent but brilliant youths.
“Education is the greatest investment for any nation’s progress. Nigeria will not rise by chance; it will rise by strategic investments in the minds of her children,” he stated.
He concluded by calling on Nigerians to demand visionary leadership that understands the transformative power of education.
“We cannot build tomorrow by abandoning today’s learners. We must elect leaders who see education as nation-building, not just budgetary figures. Together, we will rebuild Nigeria’s education system for a globally competitive economy,” Abayomi Mighty declared.
