The Nigerian Senate has forced an 11th-hour pause on a major overhaul of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) curriculum, siding with fears that its abrupt implementation would cause “mass failure” for 1.5 million students scheduled to sit their final exams in 2026. In a decisive move, the upper chamber on Tuesday, summoned the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, and WAEC’s National Head, Dr. Amos Dangut, directing its Committee on Basic and Secondary Education to investigate and report back within two weeks.
The controversy stems from revised guidelines for the 2025/2026 SSCE, which abruptly remove several critical subjects. Core and elective subjects like Computer Studies, Civic Education, and all trade-related offerings such as Catering Craft and Block Laying have been scrapped. More critically, the new policy limits students in science, arts, and commercial streams to a maximum of six subjects, directly contravening WAEC’s longstanding rule requiring a minimum of eight and a maximum of nine subjects for certification.
Senator Sunday Karimi (APC, Kogi West), who sponsored the motion, condemned the policy shift as poorly timed and destructive. He clarified that the new curriculum was designed for implementation with students currently in Senior Secondary 1 (SS1), who will take their SSCE in 2027/2028 not those already in their final year (SS3). For current SS3 students, the change would force them to register for two to three entirely new subjects with only months left before the examinations. “This abrupt change sets the stage for mass failure,” Karimi warned, emphasising that educational reforms must be gradual and student-centred to avoid chaos.
The decision appears to be a significant bureaucratic miscalculation, with the rollout lacking the necessary phased transition, teacher training, and resource allocation that major curriculum changes require. Senators across party lines unanimously echoed this concern. Former Labour leader, Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North), critiqued the pattern of rushed policies.
“We wake up with an idea and begin immediate execution,” he said. “Are there enough trained teachers? Are laboratories ready? The evidence says no. We must not plan in a way that embarrasses the nation.”
Senator Idiat Adebule (APC, Lagos West), a former deputy governor, called for scrutiny of the decision-making process, noting that such sweeping changes typically require endorsement by the National Council on Education, which comprises federal and state commissioners. Senator Adeola Olamilekan (APC, Ogun West) stressed the fundamental principle of assessment: “Students cannot be tested on subjects they have not been taught.”
Senate President Godswill Akpabio questioned the rationale behind removing Computer Studies and Civic Education at a time when Nigeria is promoting digital literacy and civic awareness.
“These are foundational subjects for national development,” he remarked.
The Senate resolved to halt immediate enforcement of the new guidelines for the 2025/2026 SSCE cohort. It urged WAEC and the Ministry of Education to exempt current SS3 students and apply the revised curriculum only to those entering SS1 in the 2025/2026 academic session. This development follows growing outcry from parents, teachers, and civil society groups, and comes after the Federal Ministry of Education itself faced criticism earlier in the year for issuing a restrictive subject selection guide.
While WAEC introduced the curriculum review to align secondary education with global standards and reduce subject overload, its abrupt rollout has threatened to undermine its own goals. With over 1.5 million candidates at stake, the Senate’s intervention aims to avert a national education crisis. The committee’s findings, due by late December 2025, will determine whether the policy will be suspended or modified.
However, the episode leaves a fundamental question unanswered: how can Nigeria modernise its education system without repeatedly sacrificing the prospects of its students during poorly managed transitions?
