A bill seeking to increase the minimum education qualification for Nigeria’s President and other elective offices has passed second reading at the House of Representatives.

Representative Adewunmi Onanuga (APC, Ogun) had sponsored the bill, which hopes to amend the 1999 Constitution and raise the qualification from school certificate to degree or its equivalent.

The bill seeks to amend Sections 65, 106, 131 and 171 of the 1999 Constitution.

Leading the debate on the bill, Onanuga said school certificate is not sufficient as qualification for ruling the country.

According to her, it is curious that to qualify for employment in the senior cadre of Nigeria’s civil service, an applicant must be a holder of the National Youth Service Corps certificate.

She noted that the applicant must already be a graduate, as only graduates go for NYSC deployment.

She said it is strange that a person seeking to lead the entire country, including the graduate, is required to possess only a senior secondary school certificate or its equivalent.