Tinubu sends Senior Secondary Education Commission Amendment Bill to Senate

President Bola Tinubu has forwarded the National Senior Secondary Education Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2026, to the Senate for consideration and possible passage.

The letter from the President was presented before lawmakers on Thursday by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during plenary.

In the correspondence, Tinubu explained that the proposed amendment is aimed at improving the management, structure, and regulation of public senior secondary education across Nigeria.

According to the President, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) endorsed the amendment bill during its meeting on April 30, 2026, after which the Federal Ministry of Justice reviewed and finalised the document in accordance with constitutional requirements and legislative drafting procedures.

Tinubu said the move aligns with his administration’s commitment to strengthening educational institutions for the benefit of the country.

“In consequence of the above, 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,” he said.

The President appealed to the Senate to prioritise the bill and ensure its swift 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 letter reads.

Following the presentation, Akpabio referred the bill to the Senate Committee on Rules and Business, instructing members to submit their report to the chamber within seven days.

The development comes shortly after the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, announced plans by the Federal Government to discontinue the policy separating junior secondary schools (JSS) from senior secondary schools (SSS).

Alausa stated that the disarticulation arrangement, which requires both levels of education to operate independently in terms of administration and location, had not delivered the expected results.

The minister noted that the policy had contributed to uneven student distribution, with some states experiencing overcrowded junior secondary schools while senior secondary schools remained underutilised.

He also disclosed that the arrangement had affected the transition rate from primary to secondary education, revealing that over 20 million pupils who enrolled in primary schools did not proceed to senior secondary education.