Nigeria’s Minister of Education Tunji Alausa, has proposed a significant overhaul of the country’s education system with a shift to a 12-year basic education model. The proposal was made on Thursday during the 2025 Extraordinary National Council of Education meeting in Abuja, which is Nigeria’s highest policy-making body for education.
Currently, Nigeria follows the 9-3-4 system, which consists of nine years of basic education, three years of senior secondary education, and four years of tertiary education. However, Alausa argued that while the 9-3-4 system has its advantages, it also has significant drawbacks, such as the pressure on students to work in order to continue their education.
“To align with global educational standards and provide students with a more seamless and comprehensive learning experience, it is time to transition to the 12-4 system,” Alausa stated. Under the proposed 12-year model, students would receive continuous and uninterrupted basic education, fostering standardization and ensuring quality assurance in the education system.
The minister believes this model would significantly improve educational outcomes, creating a more educated populace that could contribute to Nigeria’s economic growth and development. “This transition would also provide students with a more thorough and continuous education, ensuring they are better prepared for tertiary education,” Alausa emphasized.
In addition to the basic education reform, Alausa also touched on the planned transformation of federal science and technical colleges into federal technical colleges. He highlighted the importance of technical education in bridging the current skills gap in the labor market, noting that technical education not only equips students with practical skills but also helps harness a nation’s human and natural resources for greater national development.
“The provision of technical education is essential for addressing industrial and cultural progress in our nation,” he said.
The Minister also addressed the challenges surrounding the admission policy for tertiary institutions, particularly the 16-year age limit for entry into universities. Alausa noted that many talented and gifted students are being delayed from entering tertiary institutions because they must wait until they turn 18, despite completing secondary education at 16.
“This policy harms the future of bright and capable students, leaving them idle and potentially exacerbating mental health challenges,” Alausa said. He urged the council to review this policy as part of the broader reform agenda for Nigeria’s education system.
