The Senate has advanced a bill seeking to strengthen funding, infrastructure and oversight in public senior secondary schools across Nigeria, including Federal Unity Colleges and Armed Forces senior secondary schools.
The National Senior Secondary Education Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2026, sponsored by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, representing Ekiti Central Senatorial District, passed second reading during plenary on Tuesday.
The proposed legislation seeks to amend the National Senior Secondary Education Commission Act, 2023, by strengthening the coordination and delivery of education interventions and establishing education boards at state and Federal Capital Territory levels.
Leading the debate, Bamidele said persistent shortages of school infrastructure, instructional materials and laboratory facilities, alongside disparities in educational standards across states, made the proposed amendments necessary.
He described senior secondary education as essential to national development, noting its role in preparing young Nigerians for higher education, technical and vocational training, skills acquisition and productive participation in the economy.
According to him, establishing state and FCT education boards would bring intervention programmes closer to schools and communities, helping to ensure that government support reaches its intended beneficiaries.
The bill also proposes extending interventions to Federal Unity Colleges and Armed Forces senior secondary schools to address infrastructure deficits and shortages of learning resources.
Bamidele, however, cautioned that legislative amendments alone would not guarantee improved educational outcomes without transparent funding, effective monitoring and proper financial accountability.
He said successful implementation would require clear operational guidelines, fair allocation criteria and effective coordination between the commission and relevant authorities.
Supporting the proposal, Senate Chief Whip Mohammed Monguno said improved funding and coordination could make senior secondary education more accessible to communities nationwide.
Senators Diket Plang and Ahmad Lawan also backed the bill, expressing optimism that strengthening the commission would improve curriculum delivery, educational standards and students’ learning outcomes.
Lawan criticised some state governors over what he described as their failure to adequately utilise funds available through the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC). He also expressed concern over states that failed to provide the counterpart funding required to access UBEC support for school improvement.
However, Senator Adams Oshiomhole questioned the legislative process, asking why lawmakers were expected to consider amendments to an existing law without being provided with copies of the proposed bill 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 concerns over inadequate school facilities, unequal access to learning resources and differences in educational standards across the country.
In a separate development, the Senate called on the Federal Government and relevant agencies, particularly the Ecological Project Office, to urgently address erosion threatening communities in the Bogoro area of Bayelsa Central Senatorial District.
The lawmakers also urged the National Emergency Management Agency to provide relief materials to residents affected by flooding and erosion, while calling for measures to protect lives and property.
