Why did the Ministry of Education choose to roll out a new national curriculum with immediate effect, despite glaring gaps in teacher preparedness, infrastructure, and stakeholder consultation?
Development Diaries reports that the federal government had, on 01 September, announced that it had completed a comprehensive review of school curricula for basic, senior secondary, and technical education.
According to the ministry, the aim is to make Nigerian learners ‘future-ready’.
The ministry announced in a statement that the new curricula aim to reduce subject overload, strengthen skills acquisition, and align the education system with global standards.
While the reforms are laudable in intent, reducing subject overload, prioritising digital literacy, and strengthening trade and vocational education, the sudden implementation raises doubts about whether schools are ready to deliver on these promises.
For years, Nigerian students have had to study too many subjects, sometimes as many as 18 or 20 in senior secondary school, which made them focus on cramming instead of truly understanding the lessons.
On paper, the shift to fewer, more practical subjects such as Digital Technologies, Citizenship and Heritage Studies, and compulsory trade skills looks like progress, but without the right foundation, it risks becoming another policy disconnected from classroom realities.
Also, the timing and manner of the rollout raise significant concerns.
Education stakeholders, including parents, private school operators, and teachers, have argued that they were not adequately carried along in the process.
For example, in Lagos State alone, with its 18,000 private schools and 1,700 public schools, most operators reportedly only learnt of the reforms through the government’s public announcement.
This top-down approach could weaken the success of the curriculum because its effectiveness largely depends on the support and readiness of the teachers and schools that will actually implement it.
More troubling is the deep infrastructure deficit in Nigeria’s education sector.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) estimates that the country has over 20 million out-of-school children, a figure that already raises questions about access before even addressing curriculum content.
According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the education crisis in Nigeria is compounded by limited digital infrastructure and access, as only 36 percent of the population uses the internet.
Also, 78 percent of youth are lacking digital literacy skills, and there is limited and unaffordable access to electricity and broadband coverage, particularly in rural areas.
Vocational subjects like agriculture and ICT require laboratories, equipment, and trained instructors, yet most public schools struggle with even basic facilities.
Rolling out new requirements without first addressing these gaps risks creating a paper reform rather than real change.
Teacher quality is another critical issue. According to a 2025 UNICEF report, less than half of teachers (47 percent) are equipped with basic ICT skills
Expecting such a workforce to suddenly deliver on a curriculum that prioritises digital learning and technical skills is unrealistic without a deliberate capacity-building programme.
This shows the urgent need to introduce the curriculum step by step, with proper teacher training, incentives, and hiring of qualified educators.
Without addressing the human resource challenge, the reforms will likely falter at the classroom level.
Development Diaries calls on the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, to adopt a phased implementation strategy, beginning with pilot states, and work with state governments to lay the groundwork (electricity, internet, qualified teachers, and inclusive consultation) before the rollout begins.
Photo source: World Bank
