Tinubu has mandated reintroduction of history in basic school curriculum – Minister of Education Tunji Alausa

Tunji Alausa, Nigeria’s minister of education, has announced that President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to reintroducing history as a core subject in the country’s basic school curriculum.

History was removed from Nigeria’s basic school curriculum in 2007, a decision that drew widespread criticism for years. Since then, historical topics were only briefly addressed as part of social studies, leaving students with limited knowledge of the country’s past.

In 2018, the federal government ordered the reinstatement of history as a standalone subject in primary and junior secondary schools. Adamu Adamu, then minister of education, explained that the Nigerian Education Research and Development Council (NERDC) would first need to extract history from the social studies curriculum.

Adamu said the reintroduced subject would feature a curriculum designed to help students understand history as a tool for national integration and nation-building. At the time, 3,700 history teachers were selected for the initial phase of training to enhance the teaching of the subject.

Education ministries across several states, including Lagos and Taraba, have since begun implementing the federal policy.

Speaking on a Channels TV program, Tunji Alausa emphasized the importance of reconnecting Nigeria’s youth with their history. “Let me go to basic education, the curriculum is good. What has been missing in the past is Nigerian history. We now have people of 30 years disconnected from our history. It doesn’t happen in any part of the world,” Alausa stated.

He added, “President Bola Tinubu has mandated that we put that back in our curriculum and that is back. From 2025 our students in primary and secondary schools will have that as part of their studies.”

Former education minister Adamu Adamu previously validated the policy, stating that the absence of history in the curriculum had contributed to declining morals, the erosion of civic values, and a disconnection of Nigerians from their heritage.

With the reintroduction of history, stakeholders hope to bridge this gap and foster a deeper understanding of Nigeria’s past among the younger generation.