Nigerian Senate Approves Reforms to Senior Secondary Education Commission

The Nigerian Senate has passed the National Senior Secondary Education Commission Act Amendment Bill, 2026, aimed at improving public school administration and coordination between federal and state education authorities. The bill, numbered SB 1075, was approved on Wednesday, 11 November, after lawmakers examined the recommendations in the Committee of the Whole and adopted the report of the Committee on Education, Basic and Secondary.

The executive-sponsored legislation seeks to amend Act No. 45 of 2023 and address gaps in the existing law that have been exposed during implementation. According to Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, who presented the committee's findings, the proposed revisions will strengthen governance, improve accountability, and enable education authorities to implement national policies more effectively.

The proposed changes cover funding arrangements for infrastructure, laboratory equipment, instructional materials, and teacher development, as well as direct interventions for Federal Unity Colleges and Armed Forces senior secondary schools. These changes are intended to improve the overall quality of senior secondary education in Nigeria.

The Senate referred the bill for detailed examination after considering it on 20 October, and the review included a joint stakeholders' hearing and examination of individual clauses. The committee assessed submissions and recommendations from relevant participants before incorporating the accepted changes into its report.

The House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education Services also adopted the joint report, following the House's consideration and referral of the legislation to its own committee. This collaboration allowed both panels to examine the proposals together, ensuring a unified approach to the reforms.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio commended the education committee's handling of the legislation, and the commission's existing responsibilities include setting and enforcing standards, supporting teaching and learning, and coordinating senior secondary education across the states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The amendment now before the National Assembly seeks to revise the statutory framework and arrangements through which the commission carries out its responsibilities. Further legislative approval and presidential assent are required before the proposed changes can take effect, and the commission's official history records the start of operations in April 2021 and the signing of the NSSEC Act in 2023.

Key points

• The Nigerian Senate has approved proposed changes to the law governing senior secondary education to improve public school administration and coordination between federal and state authorities.