Senate considers increased funding for unity colleges, armed forces schools as bill passes second reading

A bill seeking to amend the National Senior Secondary Education Commission Act to strengthen the administration and funding of federal unity colleges and armed forces senior secondary schools has passed second reading in the Senate.

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the passage during Tuesday’s plenary after the bill received majority support in a voice vote.

After its passage, the bill was referred to the Senate Committees on Primary and Secondary Education for further legislative scrutiny and public hearing.

Sponsored by the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, the bill seeks to strengthen the administration, coordination and funding of public senior secondary schools across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

It also proposes a legal framework for direct government intervention to address infrastructure deficits and shortages of learning resources in public senior secondary schools.

Leading the debate on the bill, Mr Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central) said the proposed amendments were intended to improve senior secondary education beyond the establishment of a national commission.

He said the bill seeks to promote transparent funding mechanisms, provide adequate infrastructure, and ensure qualified administrators are appointed in public senior secondary schools.

“The significance of this Bill lies in its recognition that improving senior secondary education requires more than the establishment of a national commission. It requires effective institutional arrangements at the State and FCT levels, transparent funding mechanisms, appropriate infrastructure, qualified administrators and sustained coordination among the different levels of government,” he said.

Mr Bamidele said the proposed amendments would identify Federal Unity Colleges and Armed Forces Senior Secondary Schools for direct intervention to address their infrastructure and learning-resource needs.

“By identifying Federal Unity Colleges and Armed Forces Senior Secondary Schools for direct intervention, it also seeks to address the infrastructure and learning-resource needs of these institutions within the proposed statutory framework,” he said.

He, however, noted that the successful implementation of the proposed amendments would depend on clear operational guidelines and effective coordination between the commission and other relevant authorities.

He also stressed the need for transparent allocation criteria, effective monitoring and financial accountability to ensure the prudent use of public funds.

“The future of Nigeria depends substantially on the quality of education available to our young people. We cannot aspire to national development, technological advancement and global competitiveness without investing in the institutions that prepare our children for the responsibilities and opportunities of the future,” he said.

Mr Bamidele described the bill as a step towards strengthening the legal and administrative framework for public senior secondary education, improving access to educational infrastructure and enhancing accountability.

Debate

Most senators who contributed to the debate supported the bill, highlighting the need for better funding, improved school administration, and reforms to the secondary education curriculum.

The Senate Chief Whip, Tahir Monguno (APC, Borno North), said a coordinated, adequately funded secondary education system would strengthen Nigeria’s education sector.

He argued that the proposed amendments, if enacted, would help make education more accessible to Nigerians, regardless of their location.

Diket Plang, who represents Plateau Central Senatorial District, said the bill would promote uniformity in secondary school administration and standards.

Similarly, Ahmed Lawan (APC, Yobe North) called for a review of the secondary school curriculum to incorporate technology and Artificial Intelligence subjects.

Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North) proposed sanctions for states with high numbers of out-of-school children.

Nigerian public senior secondary schools at a glance

The proposed amendment comes at a time when concerns about inadequate funding, dilapidated infrastructure, shortages of instructional materials, and uneven learning outcomes in Nigeria’s public secondary schools persist.

Although the federal and state governments have introduced policies and institutions to improve access to quality education, many public schools still struggle to provide conducive learning environments, adequate teaching resources, and the skills needed to prepare students for further education and employment.

A recent report by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Public Finance for Basic Education in Nigeria, identified chronic underfunding as a major factor contributing to poor access to education and weak learning outcomes. The report said government expenditure on education declined from 9.3 per cent of total government spending in 2015 to 3.6 per cent in 2023, well below the international benchmark of 15 to 20 per cent.

The report also highlighted significant learning gaps among enrolled students. In 2022, 86 per cent of pupils in Junior Secondary School 2 did not attain minimum proficiency in mathematics, according to assessments cited by UNICEF and the Universal Basic Education Commission.

In June 2025, the Executive Secretary of the National Senior Secondary Education Commission (NSSEC), Iyela Ajayi, said inadequate funding limited the commission’s ability to address infrastructure deficits, shortages of instructional materials, and gaps in human-resource development.

He said the commission had yet to receive the statutory allocation of at least two per cent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund provided for under the National Senior Secondary Education Commission Act, 2023.

The Act mandated the commission to prescribe and enforce minimum standards for senior secondary education and provide federal intervention to address infrastructure gaps in Federal Unity Colleges, the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. It also provides for a dedicated fund to support school infrastructure, instructional materials, laboratory equipment, teacher development and other educational needs.

Controversy over concession of federal unity colleges

The debate over how best to finance and manage public schools sparked controversy in September after the federal government decided to concede the management of King’s College, Lagos, to its Old Boys Association.

The proposed arrangement triggered opposition from education workers and parents, who raised concerns about the implications for public ownership, government funding, staff welfare and the future management of the country’s Federal Unity Colleges.

The dispute escalated when the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) directed its members to boycott the resumption of schools for the new academic session. At the same time, parents and guardians also opposed the arrangement. The industrial action disrupted the reopening of Federal Unity Colleges nationwide.

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The disagreement centred on the government’s plan to transfer responsibility for financing, rehabilitating, modernising, operating and maintaining King’s College to the Old Boys Association under a concession agreement. The Federal Ministry of Education directed the handover after the agreement concluded, with a transition committee expected to oversee the process.

The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, maintained that the arrangement did not amount to the sale of the school. He said the federal government would retain legal ownership and oversight of the institution and ruled out plans to sell or concede other Federal Unity Colleges. The government also assured stakeholders that the arrangement would not increase school fees beyond the applicable federal policy or result in the loss of teachers’ jobs.

However, the assurances did not immediately resolve the dispute. Following discussions between the government and organised labour, implementation of the concession was put on hold for a review of the agreement.

In late September, the ASCSN suspended its industrial action to allow a seven-member committee, including labour representatives, to examine the concession document and address the concerns raised by workers.