The Federal Government has unveiled plans to recruit 3,500 new teaching staff across Federal Unity Colleges throughout Nigeria, aiming to boost the quality of education in these institutions.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, this announcement was made by Dr. Yusuf Sununu, the Minister of State for Education, during a two-day National Stakeholders’ Forum on Senior Secondary Education in Nigeria.
The forum, themed “Revitalising Senior Secondary Education in Nigeria for Global Competitiveness,” brought together key education stakeholders to address the challenges facing the nation’s secondary education system.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Sununu emphasized the importance of this recruitment drive. “We are collaborating with the Office of the Head of Service, the Federal Civil Service Commission, and other relevant government bodies to recruit 3,500 teaching staff for our federal colleges across the country,” he said. “This initiative will significantly enhance the quality of education in these schools.”
Dr. Sununu also highlighted the Ministry’s commitment to staff development, noting that extensive training and retraining programs have been organized for school staff.
He stated, “The Ministry has trained over 1,000 staff in the application of technology in education through our research resource centre.”
In addition, the Minister mentioned that more than 53 vocational skills acquisition centers have been established to meet the skills development needs of young people, in line with President Bola Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda.
He also announced the approval for the construction of 50 additional model schools across the country to further support teaching and learning.
Dr. Sununu underscored the critical role of senior secondary education in shaping the future of Nigeria’s youth, saying, “The ability to revitalize the senior secondary education sub-sector to meet global demands requires decisive actions that optimize the system.
Today marks a significant step in our journey to enhance the quality of education for our young learners.”
In his address, Rep. Tajudeen Abbas, Speaker of the House of Representatives, called for a comprehensive overhaul of the senior secondary school curriculum to align with global standards.
Represented by Rep. Mark Usani Chairman of the House Committee on Basic Education and Services, Abbas pointed out the persistent challenges in senior secondary education, including a shortage of qualified teachers, inadequate funding, and insufficient infrastructure.
Dr. Iyela Ajayi, Executive Secretary of the National Senior Secondary Education Commission stressed the importance of collective responsibility in implementing the national policy on senior secondary education.
“The federal government alone cannot succeed in repositioning senior secondary education,” he said. “We need to mobilize all relevant stakeholders—state governments, NGOs, development partners, educationalists, and concerned citizens—to collaborate in identifying problems and providing solutions.”
The event also featured the launch of several critical documents, including the National Policy on Senior Secondary Education in Nigeria and its Implementation Guidelines for 2024, the NSSEC Strategic Plan (2024–2027), as well as manuals for monitoring and evaluation of senior secondary education and for the training of English Language and Mathematics teachers in senior secondary schools.
