NATIONAL EDUCATION QUALITY ASSESSMENT POLICY

A Policy that establishes a framework for monitoring and improving education quality in institutions from pre-primary to tertiary levels. It targets all public and private schools, teachers, and education regulators to ensure minimum standards. This enhances learning outcomes and institutional governance.

What Is This Policy?

The National Education Quality Assurance Policy (NEQAP) is Nigeria's overarching framework for ensuring that all educational institutions from pre-primary to tertiary level meet minimum quality standards — systematically monitoring, evaluating, and improving learning outcomes, teacher quality, and institutional governance across all tiers of the education system.

Who Does It Target?

All public and private educational institutions from pre-primary to tertiary level across Nigeria Teachers and education managers at all levels — requiring minimum qualifications, CPD, and performance management Education regulatory bodies: NUC, NBTE, NCCE, JAMB, WAEC, NECO, and UBEC State Ministries of Education and Local Government Education Authorities (LGEAs) Parents and communities with a stake in the quality of education in their schools

What Does It Aim to Achieve?

Establish a coherent, integrated national quality assurance system covering all sub-sectors and levels of education Improve learning outcomes: 70% of Nigerian 10-year-olds currently cannot read a simple text (World Bank 2022) — NEQAP targets a reversal Standardise minimum teacher qualification, professional development (80 hours CPD/year), and performance appraisal across all 36 states Eliminate substandard schools through mandatory accreditation, periodic inspection, and public accountability

Key Features

Integrated QA Architecture: Harmonises quality assurance functions of NUC, NBTE, NCCE, UBEC, and State Inspectorate Departments into a coherent national framework Learning Outcome Benchmarks: Sets minimum learning standards per grade level benchmarked against WAEC/NECO and international PISA assessments Teacher Quality Standards: Minimum qualification, 80 hours continuous professional development (CPD) per year, and annual performance appraisal for all teachers National School Grading System: Schools rated Outstanding to Inadequate based on inspection outcomes — results publicly accessible to enable accountability EMIS Data Mandate: All schools must report to the Education Management Information System (EMIS) enabling evidence-based national policy and resource allocation Accreditation Reform: Mandatory periodic re-accreditation for all tertiary institutions — removing degree-mills and weak institutions from the register

Current Status

Rollout Stage: Active — embedded in the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI) 2023 Implementing Body: Federal Ministry of Education; National Education Assessment Council (NEAC); State Inspectorate Departments Coverage: National; all 36 states and FCT from basic to tertiary education Learning Crisis: Nigeria has 18.3 million out-of-school children (world's highest) and critically low learning outcomes among enrolled students Funding: FME budget, UBEC matching grants, World Bank Nigeria Education Crisis Response Project

How to Access

Schools: Register with relevant regulatory body (NUC/NBTE/NCCE for tertiary; State Ministry for basic/secondary) and comply with periodic QA inspections State Governments: Access UBEC matching grants by submitting State Education Sector Plans (SESPs) with EMIS compliance data Parents: Access school quality ratings via the FME School Rating Portal and State Education Ministry websites Contact: Federal Ministry of Education: education.gov.ng | [email protected]

Official Resources

Website: education.gov.ng | nuc.edu.ng | ubec.gov.ng Contact: Federal Ministry of Education, Block 5A Federal Secretariat, Shehu Shagari Way, Garki, Abuja Policy Summary | Source: FME, NERDC, UBEC, WAEC, NUC, UNESCO Education, World Bank Nigeria Education Crisis Response | February 2026

Legal Framework

The National Education Quality Assessment Policy operates under the National Policy on Education (6th Edition), the Compulsory, Free Universal Basic Education Act 2004, and the National Universities Commission Act. It aligns with the Universal Basic Education Commission Act, the West African Examinations Council Act, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board Act, and UNESCO's Global Education Monitoring Report frameworks on learning quality assessment.