The federal government introduced the universal Basic Education (UBE) programme in 1999 to ensure unfettered access and equity to education for the total development of the individual. thus the poor the socially marginalized and vulnerable groups can effectively develop their full capacities and potentials. Through the UBE programme the international goals of Education for All (EFA) as well as the millennium Development Goals (MDGs) will be achieved.

In 2004 Nigeria adopted the home-grown National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS) as a response to the global reforms in the social and economic context. The core elements of NEEDS are value re-orientation, poverty eradication, job generation, wealth creation and using education to empower the people. In December 2005, the National Council on Education (NCE) directed NERDC to develop a school curriculum for the implementation of the effective UBE programme. NERDC has developed a high quality 9-year Basic Education Curriculum that will not only facilitate the attainment of the core elements of NEEDS but also the goals of EFA and MDG.

This booklet presents the approved structure of the 9-year Basic Education Curriculum as well as the core and elective subjects. the high points of the new curriculum include the- introduction of Basic Technology and ICT, emphasis on creative thinking, entrepreneurial skills, positive social and cultural values as well as making French Language one of the core subjects. an overview of how the curriculum should be implemented is also provided.

Professor Godswill Obioma, fman, fiica, fcon, fstan, fnae

Executive Secretary

NERDC

THE 9-YEAR BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM STRUCTURE