The Federal Ministry of Education has announced a sweeping overhaul of the national secondary school curriculum aimed at equipping students with advanced academic, technological, and life skills relevant to the modern world.
The new curriculum, effective from the 2025/2026 academic session, introduces a balanced mix of core subjects, digital literacy, entrepreneurship, and innovation.
For Junior Secondary School (JSS1–3), the focus will be on strengthening foundational knowledge while integrating technology and practical life skills. Core areas include:
Mathematics & Measurement: Covering fractions, percentages, geometry, statistics, and real-life measurements.
English Language: Narrative and descriptive essay writing, vocabulary expansion, and oral communication skills.
Integrated Science: A blend of physics, chemistry, biology, and earth sciences, with an emphasis on experiments and lab safety.
Digital Literacy & Coding: Practical skills in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, internet safety, and beginner-to-advanced programming with Python and Scratch.
Social Studies and Languages: A focus on civic education, geography, and conversational fluency in French or Arabic.
Creative and Physical Education: Arts, crafts, music, advanced sports, fitness, and drug abuse awareness.
At the Senior Secondary level (SS1–3), the curriculum shifts towards preparing students for higher education, entrepreneurship, and the global workforce. Highlights include:
Mathematics & Advanced Applications: Topics such as calculus, statistics, financial mathematics, and applications in economics and engineering.
English & Communication: Academic writing, literary analysis, public speaking, and journalism.
Sciences: Advanced courses in physics, chemistry, biology, and environmental sustainability.
Technology & Innovation: Programming in Python, JavaScript, and HTML/CSS; AI and robotics; digital entrepreneurship; and cybersecurity.
Social Sciences: Economics, history, government, human rights, and ethics.
Languages and Arts: Advanced literature, fluency in international languages, music composition, and film production.
Physical & Health Education: Mental health, first aid, and leadership development.
Research & Project Work: Culminating in a final-year research project with presentations and defense.
Education experts have praised the curriculum for its practical and innovative approach, stating that it bridges the gap between classroom learning and real-world application.
Minister of Education, Mallam Tahir Mamman, emphasized that the revised framework aims to prepare students to be “globally competitive, digitally skilled, and innovative problem solvers.”
The rollout will be phased, starting with pilot schools across the six geopolitical zones before full nationwide.
