The Federal Government has reinstated Nigerian History as a compulsory subject in the basic education curriculum, marking a significant policy shift aimed at fostering national identity, unity, patriotism, and responsible citizenship among young learners.
The Federal Ministry of Education announced the development on its official X handle on Wednesday, describing it as a historic milestone.
“For the first time in decades, Nigerian pupils will study History continuously from Primary 1 to JSS3, while SSS1–3 students will take the new Civic and Heritage Studies, integrating History with Civic Education,” the statement read.
“Primary 1–6: Pupils will learn about Nigeria’s origins, heroes, rulers, culture, politics, economy, religions, colonial rule, and post-independence governance.
“JSS1–3: Students will study civilisations, empires, trade, European contacts, amalgamation, independence, democracy, and civic values.”
According to the ministry, this reform is “a priceless gift to the nation” intended to reconnect children with their roots while inspiring pride, unity, and commitment to national development. It added that the revised curriculum has been released, and plans are underway to retrain teachers, provide resources, and strengthen monitoring to ensure successful implementation.
History had been removed from the basic education curriculum in 2009/2010 following the introduction of the New Basic Education Curriculum in 2007. Officials at the time cited low student interest, limited career prospects for History graduates, and a shortage of qualified History teachers as reasons for the subject’s removal.
In 2017, the Nigeria Education Research and Development Council announced plans to reintroduce History beginning from the 2018/2019 academic session. By 2022, the Federal Government launched the first phase of teacher training to reintroduce History as a standalone subject in basic schools.
This latest move by the Ministry of Education signals a full reinstatement, making History once again a mandatory component of Nigeria’s basic education system.
