Last updated on January 25th, 2023 at 10:04 am
Ministry of Education, no doubt, is one of the oldest ministries in Nigeria. While other ministries have undergone several name changes, the education ministry has borne the same name as far back as 1960.
Because of the importance of education to nation-building, it designs national policy on education.
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It also has the highest number of agencies or parastatals apart from other departments and several units that help the ministry in actualising its objectives.
Core roles of Nigeria’s Ministry of Education
1) It plays a supervisory role to ensure that the quality of education in the country isn’t compromised.
2) It is saddled with the responsibility of formulating a national policy on education.
3) It collates and analyse data that will help it in planning a sound education policy.
4) It develops curricula and syllabuses at the national level in conjunction with other stakeholders
5) It ensures that there is uniformity in the educational curriculum throughout Nigeria.
6) Through its National Council on Education, Nigeria’s ministry of education harmonises educational policies and procedures of all the states of the federation.
7) It ensures that education policies conform with global best practices.
Agencies of Nigeria’s Ministry of Education
As earlier noted, the ministry has the highest number of agencies in Nigeria, they are:
- National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS)
- National Universities Commission (NUC)
- Nigerian Educational Research Development Council (NERDC)
- West African Examination Council (WAEC)
- Nigerian French Language Village (NFV)
- National Commission for Adult Education Mass Literacy and Non-Formal Education (NMEC)
- National Examination Council (NECO)
- Librarians’ Registration Council of Nigerian (LRCN)
- National Board for Technical Education (NBTE)
- National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE)
- Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC)
- National Commission for Nomadic Education (NCNE)
- Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria (CPN)
- Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TET FUND)
- Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB)
- National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB)
- National Institute for Educational Planning & Administration (NIEPA)
- National Teachers Institute (NTI)
- National Institute for Nigerian Languages (NINLAN)
- Teachers’ Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN)
- National Library of Nigeria (NLN)
- Federal Scholarship Board (FSB)
- Nigerian Arabic Language Village (NALV)
- Nigerian Mathematical Centre (NMC)
The years when the agencies are established, their code mandates and operational headquarters are highlighted below:
| Parastatal | Year of Establishment | Headquarters |
| NBAIS | 1960 | Kaduna |
| NERDC | 1988 | Sheda, FCT |
| WAEC | 1952 | Lagos |
| NFV | December 1991 | Badagry, Lagos |
| NMEC | June 1990 | Abuja |
| NECO | 2000 | Minna, Niger State |
| LRCN | 1995 | Abuja |
| NBTE | 19777 | Kaduna |
| NCCE | April 1989 | Abuja |
| NUC | 1962 | Abuja |
| UBEC | 1999 | Abuja |
| NCNE | 1989 | Abuja |
| CPN | 1993 | Lagos |
| TET FUND | 2011 | Abuja |
| JAMB | 1978 | Bwari, Abuja |
| NABTEB | 1992 | Benin-City, Edo |
| NIEPA | 1992 | Ondo |
| NTI | 1972 | Kaduna |
| NINLAN | December 30, 1993 | Aba, Abia State |
| TRCN | 1993 | Abuja |
| NLN | November 6, 1964 | Abuja |
| FSB | Abuja | |
| NALV | 1991 | Ngala, Borno |
| NMC | January 1, 1998 | Sheda, FCT |
Roles of agencies of Nigeria’s Ministry of Education
NBAIS
To design a workable integration of western and Islamic Education.
NERDC
Saddled with the responsibility of conducting, promoting and coordinating educational research and curriculum for Nigeria.
WAEC
To research and conduct world-class examination that is globally acceptable
NFV
To prepare undergraduates of French from Nigerian Universities for the challenges ahead and to ensure that they can compete favourably well with other French-speaking countries around the world.
NMEC
To monitor and coordinate activities relating to the national mass literacy campaigns in order to ensure rapid and successful eradication of illiteracy in Nigeria.
NECO
To prepare and administer standard and credible nationally and internationally acceptable examinations.
LRCN
To determine who is qualified to be a librarian and to maintain a register of persons entitled to practice the profession in Nigeria.
NBTE
To consolidate and develop the nation’s system of higher education in response to the economy’s manpower needs
NCCE
To approve guidelines setting out criteria for the accreditation of all Colleges of Education in Nigeria.
NUC
To promote quality higher education in Nigeria
UBEC
To undertake a reform programme aimed at providing greater access to, and ensuring the quality of basic education throughout Nigeria.
NCNE
To cater for the educational needs of the socially excluded, educationally disadvantaged and migrant groups in Nigeria.
CPN
It is charged with responsibility for building-up local Information Technology (IT) capacity as well as the regulation of IT practice in Nigeria
TET FUND
To disburse, manage, and monitor education tax to government-owned tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
JAMB
To conduct uniform standard of examination and the placement of suitably qualified candidates into the nation’s tertiary institutions.
NABTEB
To domesticate craft level examinations which were hitherto conducted by City & Guilds, Pittman’s, and Royal Society of Arts all of UK in accordance with the provisions of the National Policy on Education.
NIEPA
To empower education sector planners and managers for effective and efficient planning and management of the education system in Nigeria.
NTI
To ensure that qualified teaching staff are in all levels of the educational system.
NINLAN
To conduct research, teaching, documentation, and coordination of studies in Nigerian languages
TRCN
To determine what standards of knowledge and skills are to be attained by persons seeking to become registered teachers in Nigeria.
NLN
Ensure the building of an informed and enlightened citizenry through the provision of information resources that are readily available and easily accessible.
FSB
To ensure that deserving Nigerian Scholars are awarded foreign and local scholarships.
NALV
To cater for the language immersion requirement of students offering Arabic language in Nigerian universities.
NMC
To identify and encourage young talents and attract distinguished mathematical scientists