List of Key History Topics FG Mandates for Primary and JSS Schools

• History returns as a compulsory subject from Primary 1 to JSS3 in Nigeria’s 2025/26 school curriculum reform
• Pupils will study Nigeria’s origins, heroes, culture, colonial rule, independence, democracy, and global connections from primary through junior secondary levels
• The Federal Government aims to reduce subject overload while promoting deeper learning and stronger national identity

Nigeria’s Federal Government has released the full content of the new History curriculum that will become compulsory for pupils from Primary 1 to Junior Secondary School 3 beginning with the 2025/26 academic year.

The subject, reintroduced after years of absence, is central to a broader curriculum reform aimed at reducing subject overload and improving learning quality across all levels of education.

FG mandates history in 2025 curriculum

Under the approved framework, pupils in Primary 1 to 6 will be taught Nigeria’s origins, key historical heroes, traditional rulers, culture, politics, economy, religions, colonial experiences and the governance structures that emerged after independence.

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Junior Secondary School students from JSS1 to JSS3 will move on to study major civilisations, early empires, ancient trade networks, European contact and exploration, the 1914 amalgamation, the struggle for independence, the growth of democracy and civic values.

Education officials explained that the curriculum review followed wide consultations with teachers, policy makers and historians.

The Federal Ministry of Education said training and resource materials will be provided to ensure teachers can deliver the new content effectively.

The ministry added that schools nationwide are expected to begin adjusting timetables and preparing teaching staff ahead of the rollout.

Stakeholders have welcomed the policy, describing it as an important investment in national identity. Advocates for the subject had long warned that its removal from classrooms was eroding collective memory and weakening civic consciousness.

Nigeria schools prepare for history rollout

By embedding History in the early stages of learning, government officials believe students will develop a stronger sense of Nigeria’s heritage and the evolution of its institutions.

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The revised curriculum also streamlines the number of subjects taught in primary and secondary schools to reduce cognitive pressure on learners.

Technical and senior secondary pathways will benefit from similar adjustments designed to promote deeper understanding of core subjects.

The Ministry of Education assured parents that the reforms will be implemented without disruption to ongoing academic activities.

As the 2025/26 session approaches, schools are expected to receive updated guidelines and materials to support a smooth transition.

Alausa hailed as FG launches new curriculum

Legit.ng earlier reported that the Minister of Education, Maruf Tunji Alausa, has been commended as Nigeria unveiled a sweeping overhaul of its national curriculum. The federal government has reduced the number of subjects schoolchildren study and introduced compulsory digital literacy and trade skills.

The new curriculum is to modernise education and reduce student burdens. Alausa said the reform would make learning “more focused and functional” by emphasising skills over memorisation.

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In the words of one senior official who does not want their name disclosed, “this is about freeing children to learn meaningfully, freeing teachers to teach effectively, and freeing Nigeria to dream bigger."

Source: Legit.ng