Ignatius Okorocha, Abuja
The Senate, on Wednesday at plenary, considered and passed the Bill for an Act to Amend the National Senior Secondary Education Commission Act No. 45, 2023, a major Executive Bill seeking to overhaul the administration and coordination of public senior secondary education in Nigeria.
The passage followed the receipt and consideration of the report of the Senate Committee on Education (Basic and Secondary) on the National Senior Secondary Education Act (Amendment) Bill, 2026 (SB. 1075).
The report was laid before the Senate after a motion moved by Senator Orji Uzor Kalu and seconded by Senator Binos Dauda Yaroe, representing Adamawa South senatorial district.
Senator Kalu, who presented the report, explained that he was standing in on behalf of the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Usman Lawal Adamu, representing Kaduna Central, who was not available at plenary.
In presenting the synopsis of the report, he recalled that the Senate, at its sitting on Tuesday, 28 October 2026, deliberated on the Bill and referred it to the Committee on Education, Basic and Secondary for further legislative action.
The Bill, he said, is an Executive Bill and seeks to strengthen the administration and coordination of public secondary education across the federation.
According to him, the National Senior Secondary Education Commission was established under the National Senior Secondary Education Commission Act No. 45, 2023 to regulate and promote the development of senior secondary education in Nigeria.
However, experience gained in implementing the Act has revealed gaps that require legislative amendment.
“The proposed amendments are therefore intended to address these challenges and make the Act more effective in achieving its objective,” Kalu said.
He explained that the amendments are designed to strengthen governance of the Commission, improve coordination between the Federal and State Governments, promote accountability, and support the effective implementation of national education policies.
Kalu further informed the Senate that the House of Representatives had equally considered the same Bill and referred it to its Committee on Basic Education and Services for further legislative action.
He said this made it necessary for a joint stakeholders’ hearing and clause-by-clause consultation on the Bill, to ensure comprehensive consultation, a uniform report, and ease of legislative action by both chambers.
“The Committee, in its discharge of its legislative mandate, comprehensively considered the submissions, input, and opinions on the Bill,” he added.
Following the presentation, the Senate dissolved into the Committee of the Whole, considered the report clause-by-clause, adopted the recommendations of the Committee, and subsequently passed the Bill for third reading.
The passage is coming at a time when stakeholders in the education sector have continued to raise concerns over poor coordination between federal and state authorities, weak oversight of senior secondary schools, uneven implementation of national policies, funding gaps, and declining standards in public secondary education.
The National Senior Secondary Education Commission is the federal agency charged with setting standards, coordinating policy, and supporting the development of senior secondary education nationwide. Its mandate covers curriculum implementation support, teacher development, infrastructure standards, monitoring and evaluation, and collaboration with state ministries of education and state senior secondary education boards.
With the Senate’s passage, the amended Act, when concurred to by the House of Representatives and assented to by the President, is expected to give the Commission clearer powers, stronger governance structures, and a more defined framework for working with states, a development lawmakers say is critical to repositioning senior secondary education as the bridge between basic education and tertiary education, technical and vocational training, and the world of work.
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