The Federal Government has been urged to undertake a comprehensive review of Nigeria’s basic education curriculum and strengthen the quality assurance system to ensure that schools nationwide deliver globally competitive education.

The call was made at the 10th anniversary and graduation ceremony of Epitome Schools, Lagos.

The event, themed: ‘A decade of impact: Transforming destinies and raising future leaders’, brought together parents, educators, pupils and education stakeholders.

The school director, Mrs Bunmi Salami, said the country’s education curriculum had remained largely unchanged for decades and required urgent restructuring to align with international standards and the evolving demands of 21st-century learning.

She argued that without deliberate reforms, Nigerian pupils would continue to be at a disadvantage compared to their peers in other parts of the world.

Salami said the existing scheme of work used across basic schools should be benchmarked against global best practices to enable pupils to compete favourably with their counterparts worldwide.

She further advised education authorities to strengthen quality assurance mechanisms by ensuring thorough inspections are conducted before schools are granted accreditation or operational approval.

According to her, government agencies must assess learning environments, teaching standards and instructional methods to ensure schools comply with approved standards.

“Before a school can be accredited or given approval, officials need to go and check. The government needs to enhance or modify the scheme so that this part of the world can meet global standards,” she added.

Salami also advocated increased exposure of nursery and primary school pupils to practical and activity-based learning.

She said such an approach would better prepare children for future academic and career opportunities and help them develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills from an early age.

Highlighting practices at the school, she said Epitome had integrated coding, robotics and interactive boards into classroom instruction.

She stated that curriculum reform must be accompanied by effective implementation and monitoring across both public and private schools to ensure that changes on paper translate to real learning outcomes in classrooms.

Also speaking at the event, the School Consultant and Trainer at Havila Educonsult, Mrs Philippa Okonji, said reforms in basic education would require greater government investment alongside improved oversight of the sector.

She said education should not be left solely to private operators and urged authorities to prioritise funding and support for schools and teachers responsible for developing the country’s future workforce.

Okonji warned that failure to invest in basic education could undermine Nigeria’s long-term development.

She noted that today’s pupils in nursery and primary schools would become tomorrow’s leaders, policymakers, and professionals, reminding that the quality of education they receive now would determine the country’s progress in the coming decades.

Stakeholders at the event commended parents and teachers for supporting the school over the past decade. They also urged the graduating pupils to remain disciplined and focused as they advance to secondary education, and to carry forward the values of hard work and leadership instilled in them at Epitome Schools.