Tinubu Sends Senior Secondary Education Commission Amendment Bill to Senate

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has forwarded the National Senior Secondary Education Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2026 to the Senate, seeking lawmakers approval to strengthen the administration and governance of public senior secondary education across Nigeria.

The proposed legislation was formally transmitted to the upper chamber in a letter read during Thursday's plenary by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

In the letter, President Tinubu said the amendment bill was approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) at its meeting on April 30, 2026, before being vetted and finalised by the Federal Ministry of Justice in line with constitutional and legislative drafting requirements.

According to the President, the bill is part of his administration's broader efforts to improve Nigeria's education sector by strengthening the institutional framework governing public senior secondary education.

"In consequence of the above, and the desire of this administration to strengthen the educational institutions in the national interest, the National Senior Secondary Education Commission Amendment Bill, 2026, is forwarded for legislative action by the National Assembly," the letter stated.

President Tinubu urged the Senate to accord the proposed legislation accelerated consideration.

"While it is my hope that the Senate will consider the bill and grant it expeditious passage, please accept, Distinguished Senate President, the assurances of my highest consideration and personal regards," the President added.

Following the presentation of the letter, Senate President Akpabio referred the bill to the Senate Committee on Rules and Business for further legislative action, directing the committee to report back to the chamber within one week.

The proposed amendment comes shortly after the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, announced the Federal Government's decision to phase out the disarticulation policy that separated Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) from Senior Secondary Schools (SSS) administratively and physically.

According to the minister, the policy failed to achieve its intended objectives and instead created disparities in school enrolment, with some states experiencing overcrowded junior secondary schools while senior secondary schools remained underutilised.

Alausa also disclosed that the arrangement contributed to a widening gap between primary and secondary school enrolment, revealing that more than 20 million pupils who began primary education did not successfully transition to senior secondary school.

The proposed amendment to the National Senior Secondary Education Commission Act is expected to support ongoing reforms aimed at improving access, governance and efficiency in Nigeria's senior secondary education system.