The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), in collaboration with key stakeholders, has embarked on the process of crafting a dynamic curriculum for bilingual education in Nigeria.
According to Mr. David Apeh, UBEC’s Head of Public Relations
and Protocol, the commission recently organized a workshop aimed at adapting
the curriculum for Bilingual Schools. Experts engaged in brainstorming sessions
to tailor the curriculum to suit the unique needs of these schools.
Professor Bala Zakari, UBEC’s Deputy Executive Secretary
(Technical) and the project supervisor for the Bilingual Education Programme,
emphasized the need for a standardized approach to curriculum development.
Zakari highlighted Nigeria’s unique demographic landscape, with over 7 million
learners in Early Childhood Care Development Education (ECCDE) and more than 47
million at the primary level.
The project coordinator from the Islamic Development Bank,
Mansir Idris, articulated that the workshop’s goal was to assess the existing
national curriculum and Tsangaya system to determine their compatibility with
the bilingual education program.
In 2012, the Board of Executive Directors of the Islamic
Development Bank (IsDB) approved a multi-year financial facility program of $98
million to support bilingual education in Nigeria.
UBEC outlined the project’s main components, which include
expanding access to basic education, enhancing quality, and building the
management capacity of school administrators. As part of the initiative, 30
bilingual education boarding schools will be constructed in beneficiary states
to increase enrollment and reduce the prevalence of out-of-school children.