The Federal Government has officially launched the implementation phase of a landmark reform allowing Colleges of Education throughout Nigeria to independently run both the National Certificate in Education (NCE) and degree programmes without university affiliation.
Speaking at the National Summit held in the Federal Capital Territory, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, represented by the Minister of State for Education, Suwaiba Said Ahmad labelled the initiative as “a historic milestone in Nigeria’s educational development.”
“For the first time in our history, our Colleges of Education have been legally empowered to run NCE and degree programmes concurrently in teacher education disciplines,” she said, citing the Federal Colleges of Education (Establishment) Act No. 43 of 2023.
She clarified that the reform anchors on decades of experience and competence demonstrated by the institutions.
“The dual-mandate system now grants them full legislative and operational authority to expand their academic offerings while preserving their core mission of producing highly skilled and professional teachers,” she added.
Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), Prof. Paulinus Chijioke Okwelle, said the reform is “historic,” stating that it would ginger teacher education and expand access for student-teachers.
“For decades, Colleges of Education partnered with universities to offer degrees. Today, with full legislative backing, they now have the autonomy to do so directly, leveraging their own manpower, infrastructure, and academic expertise,” he said.
Chairman of the House Committee on Federal Colleges of Education, Hon. Adamu Tanko, assured stakeholders that “the value of the degree awarded by the Colleges of Education will be equivalent to those conferred by conventional universities across the country.”
