FOREWORD

Nigeria like most other countries of the world is undergoing rapid social, economic and political reforms. The impetus for these changes is fuelled by the nation’s commitment to such international goals of development as the Education for All (EFA), the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). and our own home-grown National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS) I and II that recognises education as a means of empowering the people for the attainment of the nation’s developmental plans and targets.

In Nigeria, the. National Policy on Education (NPE) prescribes national guidelines and requirements for the effective administration. management and implementation of education at all tiers of government. The National Policy on Education therefore, is a statement of intentions, expectations, goals and standards for quality education delivery in Nigeria. The need for Nigeria to record fundamental changes in her socio-economic and political structures wholly dictated the direction of change in the nation’s education policy thrust and guidelines. Thus, given the tempo of development activities on-going in both the global and local contexts, a review of the National Policy on Education became imperative for aligning the nation’s education system with the prevailing developmental goals in a global context. The 2004 edition of the NPE was revised in 2007 to accommodate some of such changes. Before the draft 5th edition of 2007 could be adopted, printed and disseminated, rapid changes and reforms had taken place in the education sector.

In 2009. in order to meet the ideals of Human Capital Development, the Federal Ministry of Education prepared a Roadmap for the Development of the Nigerian Education Sector. This was followed by the 1 (One) Year Strategy Plan for the Development of the Education Sector (May 2010 April 2011).