By KINGSLEY OKOYE

The Senate has passed the bill for an act to amend the National Senior Secondary Education Commission Act.

This followed the consideration and adoption of the report of the Committee on Education, Basic and Secondary Schools, at plenary on Wednesday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the report was presented by Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu (APC-Abia).

Presenting the report, Kalu said the bill was an executive bill seeking to strengthen the administration and coordination of public senior secondary education in the country.

He said the national senior secondary education commission was established under the national senior secondary education commission act, 2023, to regulate and promote the development of senior secondary education in Nigeria.

Kalu said experience gained in implementing the act had shown that certain areas needed to be amended to strengthen governance, improve coordination between the Federal and State governments and promote accountability.

He said the proposed amendments were also intended to support the effective implementation of national education policies and make the act more effective in achieving its objectives.

Kalu said the House of Representatives had equally considered the same bill and referred it to its committee on basic education and Services for further legislative action.

This, he said, was to allow for a joint stakeholders’ hearing and clause-by-clause consideration of the bill for comprehensive convergence, uniform report and ease of legislative action.

Kalu said the committee, in the discharge of its mandate, comprehensively considered the submissions, inputs and opinions on the bill, incorporated and endorsed the amendments proposed by stakeholders.

He said the amendments formed part of the report jointly adopted by the committee.

Kalu said the committee recommended the bill to the senate for consideration and approval.

He, therefore, moved that the Senate consider and pass the bill as recommended by the committee.

The senate, thereafter, after a clause-by-clause consideration, passed the bill.

The Deputy President of the Senate, Sen. Barau Jibrin (APC-Kano), who was presiding at that moment commended the committee for its input on the bill, saying members of the committee had done their work in the best manner.

He expressed confidence that the bill would help to strengthen the education system in Nigeria. (NAN)