The Senate on Thursday commenced legislative work on two executive bills sent by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reform Nigeria’s criminal justice system and improve the management of public senior secondary education.
The bills are the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill, 2026 and the National Secondary Education Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who read the President’s letters during plenary, said the proposed ACJA 2026 is intended to replace the 2015 Act and address challenges noticed in its implementation within the Federal Capital Territory and federal courts.
He explained that the new bill is designed to modernise criminal justice administration and ensure more efficient processes across federal jurisdictions.
The Senate President also announced that President Tinubu transmitted the National Secondary Education Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2026, to the upper chamber.
Akpabio noted that the Federal Executive Council approved the amendments on April 30, 2026. The Federal Ministry of Justice later reviewed and finalised the draft to ensure it meets constitutional and legislative drafting requirements.
According to him, the amendment seeks to strengthen governance, administration and oversight of public senior secondary schools as part of efforts to improve the quality of education in the country.
After the readings, Akpabio referred both bills to the Senate Committee on Rules and Business for further processing.
The committee is expected to present its report on the education bill within one week, while the report on the proposed ACJA 2026 is expected within four weeks for further legislative consideration.
