Nigeria's Education System at a Crossroads: Examining the Proposed 12-4 Model -By Eldad Akhaumere

Posted on: 2025-03-13

Nigeria's education system may be undergoing a significant transformation as the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Education, is proposing a shift from the existing 6-3-3-4 system to a 12-year basic education model followed by four years of Higher Education.
This proposal involves replacing the current Junior Secondary School and Senior Secondary School structure with a continuous basic education program.
The existing 6-3-3-4 system includes:

Six years of primary school

Three years of Junior Secondary School (JSS)

Three years of Senior Secondary School (SSS)

A minimum of four years in tertiary institutions.

The proposed 12-4 model aims to establish a compulsory 12 years of basic education, after which students can pursue four years of higher education. But are there any benefits of adopting this model? Let us see!

Potential Benefits of the 12-4 Model: The 12-4 model boasts of uninterrupted learning. By subsuming secondary education into basic education this allows students to benefit from continuous learning up to age 16. Since there is no break throughout the 12 year basic education, Nigeria will likely see reduction in dropout rates as many dropouts happen at the secondary education level.

This new model will expose students to vocational & entrepreneurial skills which are usually offered at the secondary level, from an early age in order to prepare students for higher education and employment.

This reform also aligns Nigeria's education system with international standards, potentially fostering better educational outcomes and a more equal footing for Nigerian students to compete globally as many developed & industrialised nations have implemented similar systems.
The 12-4 model will, with time, provide a more educated youth population that can improve standards of living and reduce the number of children engaging in child labor (Almajiri) and premature school dropouts.

Despite all the advantages the new proposed model boasts of, there remain concerns of its implementation and the impact it will have on Educators who will be the backbone this new model is built on & education in Nigeria. Some of the concerns include the disruptions that the new model might cause in the educational system as the 6-3-3-4 system has been in place for decades and implementing the new policy may require curriculum adjustments, teacher training, and administrative restructuring, all of which are rigorous processes and are very costly.
For now, there is no clear cut plan on how all these issues will be addressed because this policy is still a proposal and not an immediate change.
According to Dr. Tunji Alausa, the Minister of Education, the proposal was submitted during the 2025 extraordinary National Council of Education meeting(Sulieman, 2025). Further deliberations and stakeholder consultations are expected before any implementation.
The final decision will be known after another National Council of Education meeting. Some School Owners in Lagos shared their concerns that the new model could reduce pressure on students but may also affect academic standards.
They also shared that simply increasing the years of schooling doesn't guarantee better education unless issues such as teaching quality, learning resources, and student engagement are addressed (Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, 2025).

The proposed 12-4 education model presents a potentially transformative shift in Nigeria's educational landscape, while aligning with global standards and potentially improving learning outcomes. Whether it will be successful or not however, depends on whether critical challenges such as teacher training, infrastructure and curriculum development are addressed and how they are addressed, to ensure that the education provided is relevant to Nigeria's specific socio-economic context. As the policy remains under consideration, consulting all stakeholders is crucial to ensure a smooth and effective transition.

Just how far will this new system go? We will have to wait and see.

References

Suleiman, Q. (2024, January 15). Nigerian govt proposes 12-year basic education model. PremiumTimes. https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/772491-nigerian-govt-proposes-12-year-basic-education-model.html
Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation. (2025, February 9). School owners react to FG’s 12-year basic education plan.https://fmino.gov.ng/school-owners-react-to-fgs-12-year-basic-education-plan/

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