Peter Obi Donates to Chibok School, Criticizes ICC Renovation

Former Anambra State Governor and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has condemned the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) for spending N39 billion on renovating Abuja’s International Conference Centre (ICC), describing it as a misplaced priority amid poverty and educational neglect.

Obi made the remarks on Tuesday, June 11, in Abuja while announcing a personal intervention worth over N6 million at Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok—site of the 2014 Boko Haram schoolgirl abductions.

The intervention included the sinking of a borehole, solar power installation, provision of science lab equipment, ten laptops, and two laser printers. Obi emphasized that these were not donations, but investments in the nation’s future.

“Anything done to promote education is not a donation, it’s an investment,” he said. “The N39 billion used for ICC renovation—on a building that’s already functional—could have bought thousands of computers for schools.”

Obi criticized the federal government for consistently prioritizing elite-centered projects while teachers remain unpaid and students lack basic educational tools.

“It’s shameful that ICC is being renovated while teachers in the FCT are on strike over unpaid salaries,” he added.

Though he had planned to visit Chibok personally, Obi said he was advised against it due to ongoing insecurity in the region. “If any part of Nigeria is unsafe, then the entire country is unsafe,” he remarked.

The donation was facilitated by activist Aisha Yesufu, a prominent voice in the “Bring Back Our Girls” campaign. She revealed that the Chibok community reached out on May 31 for help with improving digital literacy at the school, and Obi responded immediately.

Community leader Dauda Iliya, who received the items on behalf of the school, thanked Obi for the timely support and pledged that the equipment would be put to good use.

Obi urged leaders to redirect resources to education and social development, drawing on his record as Anambra governor where he championed tech literacy in schools.

“We made sure students had access to computers, even if it was ten students to one machine—it still made a difference,” he noted.

Obi continues to earn public praise for his focus on education, prudent governance, and people-centered development.