Senate Passes Executive Bill To Reform Senior Secondary Education

The Senate has passed a bill seeking to amend the National Senior Secondary Education Commission Act No. 45, 2023, to strengthen the administration, regulation and coordination of public senior secondary education across the country.

The passage of the National Senior Secondary Education Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2026 (SB. 1075), followed the consideration and adoption of the report of the Senate Committee on Education (Basic and Secondary) at plenary on Wednesday.

The report was presented by Senator Orji Uzor Kalu after a motion moved by him and seconded by Senator Binos Dauda Yaroe, representing Adamawa South Senatorial District.

Kalu, who stood in for the committee chairman, Senator Usman Lawal Adamu, representing Kaduna Central, recalled that the Senate had considered the bill on October 28, 2026, and subsequently referred it to the committee for further legislative scrutiny.

He explained that the executive-sponsored bill was designed to address identified gaps in the existing law and improve the Commission’s capacity to regulate and promote the development of senior secondary education in Nigeria.

According to him, the proposed amendments would strengthen the Commission’s governance structure, improve collaboration between the Federal Government and state governments, enhance accountability and facilitate the effective implementation of national education policies.

Kalu noted that the National Senior Secondary Education Commission was established by the 2023 Act to regulate and promote the development of senior secondary education in the country.

However, he said experience from the implementation of the law had exposed certain shortcomings requiring legislative intervention to enable the Commission to achieve its mandate more effectively.

“The proposed amendments are therefore intended to address these challenges and make the Act more effective in achieving its objective,” he said.

The lawmaker also disclosed that the House of Representatives had considered the same bill and referred it to its Committee on Basic Education and Services for further legislative action.

He said the development necessitated a joint stakeholders’ hearing and clause-by-clause consultation to ensure comprehensive engagement, a harmonised report and smoother legislative consideration by both chambers.

Kalu added that the Senate committee had carefully examined submissions, contributions and opinions from relevant stakeholders before arriving at its recommendations.

Following the presentation of the report, the Senate dissolved into the Committee of the Whole, considered the bill clause by clause and adopted the committee’s recommendations before passing it for third reading.

The legislative move comes amid concerns over challenges confronting public senior secondary education in Nigeria, including inadequate funding, weak oversight, poor coordination between federal and state authorities and inconsistent implementation of national education policies.

The National Senior Secondary Education Commission is responsible for setting standards, coordinating policies and supporting the development of senior secondary education across the country.

Its responsibilities include supporting curriculum implementation, promoting teacher development, setting infrastructure standards, monitoring educational performance and collaborating with state ministries of education and relevant state agencies.

With the Senate’s approval, the bill will still require concurrence by the House of Representatives and presidential assent before it can become law.

When fully enacted, the proposed amendments are expected to provide a stronger legal and institutional framework for the Commission, clarify its regulatory responsibilities and improve its working relationship with state governments.

The development is also expected to strengthen senior secondary education as a critical link between basic education, tertiary institutions, technical and vocational training and the labour market.