Alex Onyia, a popular education advocate and CEO of Educare, has criticized Nigerian political leaders for dismantling the very public education system that shaped them, describing their actions as a betrayal of future generations.
In a post shared on his verified X handle on Friday, Onyia accused Nigeria’s ruling elite of hypocrisy for benefiting from free, high-quality education and then leaving the system in ruins for those coming after them.
“Nigerian leaders went to public schools for free, with quality teachers and steady scholarships, then grew up to destroy the same system for the next generation. That’s not leadership. That’s betrayal,” he wrote.
The statement comes amid growing outrage over the collapse of public education in Nigeria, with dilapidated infrastructure, underpaid teachers, and widespread learning gaps defining many government-owned schools.
Onyia’s comment echoes the sentiment of many education activists who argue that the rot in Nigeria’s school system is not accidental, but the result of deliberate neglect by successive administrations, many of whose officials were themselves products of free public education.
In recent years, most political leaders have opted to send their children abroad or to expensive private schools, leaving the average Nigerian child to suffer in under-resourced public institutions.
Observers have noted that budgetary allocation to education remains abysmally low, with some states spending more on political offices than on basic education infrastructure.
Calls for reform have intensified, especially from stakeholders who believe that reviving the education system is key to Nigeria’s long-term development.
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