The Federal Government has formally approved the implementation of a landmark reform that allows Colleges of Education in Nigeria to independently award both the National Certificate in Education (NCE) and degree qualifications without affiliation to universities.
Announcing the development at the National Education Summit in Abuja on Tuesday, August 19, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa—represented by Minister of State for Education, Suwaiba Said Ahmad—described the reform as “a historic milestone in Nigeria’s educational development.”
“For the first time, our Colleges of Education have been legally empowered to run NCE and degree programmes concurrently in teacher education disciplines,” she said, referencing the Federal Colleges of Education (Establishment) Act No. 43 of 2023.
The minister explained that the reform builds on decades of experience and competence demonstrated by the colleges. “This dual mandate grants them legislative and operational authority to broaden their offerings while retaining their core mission of training skilled professional teachers,” she added.
Prof. Paulinus Chijioke Okwelle, Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), hailed the development as transformative. He noted that for decades, Colleges of Education relied on partnerships with universities to run degree programmes. “Today, with full legislative backing, they have the autonomy to do so directly, using their own manpower, infrastructure, and expertise,” he said.
According to him, the benefits include producing graduates with both NCE and B.Ed qualifications, ensuring a steady pipeline of qualified teachers, and strengthening retention of educators within the system.
Chairman of the House Committee on Federal Colleges of Education, Hon. Adamu Tanko, assured stakeholders that degrees awarded by the colleges will carry equal value to those from conventional universities nationwide.
The Ministry of Education pledged continued policy support, technical guidance, and resource mobilisation to guarantee the successful rollout of the reform.
0 Comments