Nigeria

Nigeria has a decentralized education system comprising public schools and private schools. The Federal Ministry of Education establishes program guidelines through the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC). However, State Ministries of Education can create their own programs based on these guidelines. Private schools can adopt and/or combine any program of their choice, including federal, state, and international programs. The official language of instruction in schools and universities is English. However, in 2022, a new National Language Policy that made mother-tongue based medium of instruction at the primary school level has been passed. Although implementation of this policy varies across the country. Textbooks are developed based on the NERDC’s program guidelines and are often multimodal. There is no central pedagogical approach. Most public and private schools adopt a teacher-centric approach, which is commonly recommended in textbooks. However, public and private schools that follow international programs may sometimes adopt student-centric approaches. Students are assessed through quizzes and tests three times each term. Additionally, students participate in centralized exams organized by the National Examination Council (NECO).