Former presidential candidate Peter Obi has condemned the Federal Ministry of Education’s decision to remove Mathematics as a compulsory subject for admission into tertiary institutions for Arts students, calling the move a “costly mistake” that undermines national development.
The Ministry clarified last week that Mathematics would remain mandatory only for school certificate examinations, following public backlash over its removal from university admission criteria. However, Obi argued that the clarification fails to address the core issue, warning that students will deprioritize the subject if it is not required for entry into higher education.
“The seriousness students attach to any subject is often directly proportional to its relevance to their future academic goals,” Obi said in a statement. “If Mathematics is not needed for admission, many Arts students will neglect it entirely.”
Obi emphasized that Mathematics is essential not only for scientific disciplines but also for cultivating logic, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills across all fields. He described the policy change as a setback in Nigeria’s efforts to build a globally competitive and intellectually mature society.
“To suggest that Arts students do not need Mathematics is to imply that they can do without clarity of thought or analytical precision,” he said. “These are the very foundations of intellectual maturity.”
He urged the government to reconsider the decision, citing global trends where nations are investing in strengthening Mathematics education to meet the demands of a knowledge-driven era. Obi questioned the rationale behind the policy shift, asking whether it was motivated by declining admission rates or other undisclosed factors.
“At a time when the world is driven by science, technology, and data, it is disheartening to hear of such retrogression,” he added. “Our education policy must aim to equip every child, regardless of discipline, with the skills and competencies relevant to the twenty-first century.”
Obi called on education authorities to reinstate Mathematics as a core requirement for university admission, stressing that the future of Nigeria’s students and national progress depends on a forward-looking approach to curriculum development.
