The Federal Government has reintroduced Nigerian History as a compulsory subject in the basic education curriculum to promote national identity, unity, patriotism, and responsible citizenship.
The Federal Ministry of Education announced the move in a statement posted on its official X account on Wednesday, noting that this is the first time in decades that History will be taught continuously from Primary 1 to JSS3. Senior Secondary students (SSS1–3) will now take a new subject, Civic and Heritage Studies, which integrates History with Civic Education.
According to the ministry, pupils in Primary 1–6 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.
The ministry described the reform as a “priceless gift to the nation,” aimed at reconnecting children with their roots and inspiring pride, unity, and commitment to national development.
It said that the revised curriculum has been released and teachers will be retrained, resources provided, and monitoring systems strengthened to ensure effective implementation.
History was removed from the curriculum in the 2009/2010 academic session under the New Basic Education Curriculum introduced in 2007. At the time, authorities cited low student interest, limited job prospects for graduates, and a shortage of qualified teachers as reasons for its removal.
In 2017, the Nigeria Education Research and Development Council (NERDC) announced plans to reintroduce History beginning from the 2018/2019 session, and in 2022, the Federal Government commenced the first stage of teacher training to prepare for its return as a stand-alone subject.
