FG to Roll Out New Education Curriculum in January 2025

The Federal Government has announced that a new curriculum for basic education will be implemented across schools starting in January 2025. This was revealed by the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, during a stakeholders’ meeting held in Abuja on Monday, where discussions focused on the curriculum’s rollout. Additionally, the curriculum for senior secondary education is scheduled to begin in September 2025.

A key feature of the new curriculum is the introduction of 15 new trade subjects for basic education. These subjects include basic digital literacy, information technology, and vocational skills such as building and construction, plumbing, tiling, hospitality, hairstyling, makeup, and services like construction, GSM repairs, satellite, and CCTV installation, as well as garment making, among others.

Prof. Mamman highlighted the significance of the skills component, noting that it is designed to equip students with 21st-century skills that will have a lasting impact on their lives. “In the past year, we have collaborated with stakeholders to create a skills framework that integrates skills training from the later stages of basic education through secondary school. The aim is that by the time students graduate, they will possess at least two practical skills, enabling them to lead productive lives,” he explained.

The Minister also emphasized that the meeting aimed to refine aspects of the curriculum and outline the next steps, including preparation, support, monitoring, and evaluation. The following three months will focus on the preparatory phase, including the development of teacher guides to facilitate effective use of the new curriculum.

When asked about how this differs from the existing 6:3:3:4 education system, which also incorporated skills training, Prof. Mamman noted that the main issue was the failure to properly implement the policy. He referred to the 1993 minimum academic standard, which outlined the vision for students to acquire skills by the end of basic education. However, he explained that the country had since deviated from this path.

Dr. Garba Gandu, Director of Curriculum at the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), added that the new curriculum is designed to equip students with the skills necessary for global competitiveness. He stated that the curriculum is competency-based, digitally aligned, and incorporates Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) methodologies.