Nigerian students opened a new academic session in September, with a new curriculum that hopes to do more than just reduce subject overload. It promises to equip them with the skills needed to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

Unveiled ahead of the 2025/2026 academic year, the revised national curriculum for basic, secondary, and technical education reflects a significant shift in Nigeria’s education policy.

The government said the goal is to bridge the persistent gap between what students are taught in school and the skills demanded by today’s job market.

“This curriculum is about preparing our children not just for exams, but for life,” Maruf Tunji Alausa, minister of Education, said at the recent formal launch in Abuja.

He described the overhaul as a “strategic response to a future that is already here,” one that places value on practical skills, digital competence, cultural identity, and employability.

The new framework reduces the number of subjects taught at all levels. Primary and secondary school students, who were once saddled with up to 20 subjects per term, will now focus on just eight to nine — a mix of core subjects, compulsory trades, and field-based electives.

Among the changes is the long-awaited reintroduction of Nigerian History, now made compulsory from Primary 1 to JSS 3, as part of an effort to strengthen cultural identity and national awareness.

In senior secondary schools, Citizenship and Heritage Studies has replaced the older Civic Education model, combining Nigerian History, Social Studies, and Civic Education into a single subject aimed at producing more informed, culturally rooted citizens.

Technology is also receiving a major upgrade. The former Digital Literacy subject has evolved into Digital Technologies, reflecting global trends in ICT, programming, and artificial intelligence. Experts say this is part of a push to give Nigerian students an early start in navigating the digital economy. However, it raises questions about whether most schools, especially public ones, have the infrastructure to support it.

Trade subjects, previously seen as optional or peripheral, have now been repositioned as core components of the curriculum. Students in non-technical schools will be required to choose from six practical areas — Solar PV Installation and Maintenance, Fashion Design and Garment Making, Livestock Farming, Beauty and Cosmetology, Computer Hardware and GSM Repairs, and Horticulture and Crop Production — all designed to prepare students for entrepreneurship or self-employment immediately after graduation.

For technical colleges, the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) has revamped 28 trade subjects to offer more structured vocational pathways, including mechanics, electrical work, carpentry, and ICT repair, among others.

“This curriculum is clearly aimed at addressing employability from a much earlier stage,” Oluso Jardini, an education consultant, said. “When you expose young people to solar tech, agro-enterprise, or tech repair early on, you’re not just educating — you’re building capacity for income generation.”

According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Nigeria’s youth unemployment rate dropped from 5.3 percemt in the first quarter (Q1) of 2024 to 4.3 percent in the second quarter (Q2), while underemployment stood at 9.2 percent. Still, over 12.5 percent of the youth population remains disconnected from work, school, or training — a figure the new curriculum aims to reduce by making education more practical and job-aligned.

Oluwaseun Olajumoke, director of Festland International School Limited, questioned the government’s capacity to deliver on the reforms. “We don’t even have computers in many public schools,” she told BusinessDay. “If you add digital technologies to the curriculum, who will teach them, and with what tools?”

At LEA Primary School in Utako, Abuja, Agyo Sabo, who is the head teacher, echoed similar concerns. “Only seven teachers handle hundreds of pupils. If new subjects are added, who will teach them?”

Despite the challenges, the curriculum introduces more flexibility in subject selection. Students will now combine compulsory subjects — English Language, General Mathematics, Digital Technologies, Citizenship and Heritage Studies, and one trade subject — with electives drawn from three broad fields.

In the sciences, options include Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Agriculture, Health Education, Further Mathematics, and Technical Drawing. In the Humanities, students can choose from subjects such as Government, Literature, CRS/IRS, French, Arabic, Nigerian Languages (now streamlined to Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba), Visual Arts, Music, and Nigerian History. The Business and Vocational group includes Accounting, Commerce, Marketing, Economics, Food & Nutrition, Catering Craft, and Home Management.

“This new direction can offer more relevant and rounded learning for students,” Zakaria Rasheed, vice principal of Voyage International School, said. “We’ve already been doing some of these in the private sector. The question is whether public schools can catch up.”

Abiodun Adeniyi, registrar of Baze University, believes the reform reflects the realities of a changing global education landscape. “It’s an appropriate move. Perspectives are changing. There are new innovations, new activities — and because learning is very critical at the basic levels, it is appropriate for the government to focus there in the first instance,” he said.

While acknowledging infrastructural gaps, he cautioned against dismissing the effort too quickly. “Yes, there are concerns. But that should not detract from the thought of bringing about change. These issues can be addressed eventually. It’s a step-by-step process.” (BusinessDay)