The Senate has passed a bill seeking to strengthen the administration, coordination and governance of public senior secondary education in Nigeria.
The National Senior Secondary Education Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2026, sponsored by President Bola Tinubu, was approved on Wednesday after lawmakers considered the report of the Senate Committee on Education (Basic and Secondary).
Senator Orji Uzor Kalu (APC, Abia North) presented the committee’s report on behalf of its chairman, Senator Lawal Adamu Usman (Kaduna Central).
The bill, identified as SB. 1075, underwent clause-by-clause consideration at the Committee of the Whole before being read for the third time and passed.
Presenting the report, Kalu urged lawmakers to adopt the committee’s recommendations, noting that the proposed amendments were necessary to address challenges identified in the implementation of the National Senior Secondary Education Commission Act, 2023.
The commission was established under the 2023 Act to regulate and promote the development of senior secondary education in the country.
According to the committee’s report, experience from implementing the law had exposed areas requiring adjustments to improve governance, strengthen coordination between the Federal and State Governments, promote accountability and ensure effective implementation of national education policies.
The proposed amendments are expected to address the identified gaps and improve the commission’s ability to fulfil its mandate.
Kalu also disclosed that the House of Representatives had considered the bill and referred it to its Committee on Basic Education and Services for further legislative action.
He said this informed the decision to organise a joint stakeholder hearing and conduct a clause-by-clause review to ensure a comprehensive and harmonised legislative process.
President Tinubu had transmitted the executive bill to the Senate in July 2026 through a letter read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during plenary.
In the letter, the President disclosed that the Federal Executive Council approved the amendment bill at its meeting on April 30, 2026, before the Federal Ministry of Justice vetted and finalised it in accordance with constitutional provisions and legislative drafting standards.
Tinubu said the proposed amendment reflected his administration’s commitment to strengthening educational institutions in the national interest.
Following the presentation, Akpabio had referred the bill to the Senate Committee on Rules and Business for legislative processing and directed it to report back within one week.
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The passage comes amid wider discussions on the Federal Government’s proposed education reforms, including a plan by the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, to restructure the country’s basic education system.
Alausa said the proposed reform was aimed at reducing school dropout rates, simplifying learners’ progression and ensuring that children receive 12 years of uninterrupted education before advancing to higher education or vocational training.
Nigeria currently operates the 6-3-3-4 education system, comprising six years of primary education, three years of junior secondary education, three years of senior secondary education and four years of tertiary education.
However, education stakeholders have continued to express concerns over factors hindering pupils’ progression, including inadequate infrastructure, poverty, insecurity and financial constraints.
