‘SCHOOLS ARE DYING, NOT CONFERENCE HALLS’
By The Governance Desk | IDNN.COM.NG
ABUJA, NIGERIA — JUNE 12, 2025 | Former presidential candidate and Labour Party stalwart Peter Obi has sharply criticized the Bola Tinubu-led administration for approving a ₦39 billion renovation of the Abuja International Conference Centre (ICC), branding the decision as a catastrophic misplacement of national priorities.
“Children are out of school, teachers haven’t been paid in months, and yet the government is renovating halls for the elite,” Obi declared during a school project unveiling in Abuja.
Obi said the money could have been better used to tackle Nigeria’s worsening education crisis — particularly in the insurgency-affected northeast.
A Showy Renovation, A Starving Nation
The ICC renovation, executed under the supervision of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, has faced backlash not only for its ₦39 billion price tag but also for the renaming of the facility after President Tinubu.
Wike justified the expense by calling it a “monumental uplift” of a national facility. However, Obi sees it differently.
“That kind of money could equip thousands of schools with computers, solar power, water, and functioning labs. Instead, we’re polishing marble floors for photo-ops,” he said.
Obi Redirects the Spotlight
Speaking during a donation event to Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Obi announced:
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₦6 million for a solar-powered borehole,
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A new science lab,
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And 10 brand new laptops with two laser printers.
He revealed that the donation was initially meant to be delivered in Chibok itself but was rerouted to Abuja due to insecurity in the area.
“If one part of Nigeria is too unsafe to visit, then the entire country is unsafe. Let’s not pretend otherwise,” he said.
Obi contrasted his modest project budget with the government’s multi-billion-naira renovation, asserting that his investment had direct human impact, unlike what he called “superficial spending” on elite gatherings.
FCT Teachers Still Unpaid
As the ribbon was cut at the ICC, teachers across the FCT remained on strike, demanding payment of salaries owed for over three months.
“This is what we’ve come to — educators starving, classrooms empty, and the government dancing in glittering conference halls,” Obi stated.
He referenced his time as Anambra governor, recalling how he implemented 1:10 student-to-computer ratios in public schools.
“I was never a magician. I just chose to invest in the people, not in vanity,” he added.
Calls for Leadership With Vision
Obi warned that the current trajectory of prioritizing optics over outcomes would only deepen inequality and widen Nigeria’s leadership deficit.
“If we keep starving the base to beautify the roof, the entire house will collapse,” he warned.
He emphasized that real leadership should be judged by the welfare of the masses, not the elegance of infrastructure built for the privileged.