The Nigerian Senate has advanced a proposal to improve funding, infrastructure and supervision in public senior secondary schools across the country, including federal unity colleges and schools operated by the Armed Forces.
The National Senior Secondary Education Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2026, sponsored by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, passed second reading during Tuesday’s plenary despite concerns from Senator Adams Oshiomhole over the availability of copies of the proposed legislation for lawmakers to examine.
The bill seeks to amend the existing legal framework for senior secondary education by improving coordination, strengthening funding arrangements and expanding government intervention programmes.
Presenting the proposal, Bamidele, who represents Ekiti Central Senatorial District, said persistent shortages of infrastructure, instructional materials and laboratory facilities, alongside differences in educational standards across states, necessitated a review of the National Senior Secondary Education Commission Act, 2023.
He noted that senior secondary education was critical to preparing young Nigerians for higher education, technical and vocational training, skills development and productive participation in the economy.
According to him, the proposed amendments would strengthen the administration of public senior secondary schools and ensure that government interventions reached institutions more effectively.
A major provision of the bill is the establishment of education boards at state and Federal Capital Territory levels to bring intervention programmes closer to schools and the communities they serve.
The proposal also seeks to extend support to Federal Unity Colleges and Armed Forces senior secondary schools to address infrastructure deficits and shortages of learning materials.
However, Bamidele warned that legislative changes alone would not deliver the desired improvements without transparent funding, proper monitoring and accountability.
READ ALSO:Â Tinubu Seeks Senate Approval For Senior Secondary Education Commission Amendment
He stressed the need for clear implementation guidelines, fair allocation of resources and effective coordination between the commission and relevant authorities to ensure that public funds were properly utilised.
Supporting the bill, Senate Chief Whip Mohammed Monguno said better funding and coordination would improve access to quality senior secondary education across the country.
Senators Diket Plang and Ahmad Lawan also backed the proposal, expressing hope that strengthening the commission would improve curriculum delivery, educational standards and students’ academic performance.
Lawan, however, criticised state governors over what he described as their failure to adequately utilise funds available through the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) to improve education.
He also expressed concern that some state governments had failed to provide the counterpart funding required to access UBEC intervention funds for school development.
Oshiomhole raised concerns about the legislative process, questioning why senators were being asked to consider amendments to an existing law without copies of the proposed bill being made available for scrutiny.
Despite the objection, the Senate passed the bill for second reading through a voice vote and referred it for further legislative consideration.
The proposed amendment comes amid continuing concerns over inadequate school facilities, unequal access to educational resources and disparities in learning standards across Nigeria.
In a separate development, the Senate called on the Federal Government and relevant agencies, particularly the Ecological Project Office, to urgently address erosion threatening Bogoro community in Bayelsa Central Senatorial District.
The lawmakers also urged the National Emergency Management Agency to provide relief materials to residents affected by flooding and erosion.