The Federal Government has given Colleges of Education nationwide the go ahead to start offering both National Certificate in Education (NCE) and degree programmes independently.
With this development, government has eliminated the age long need for the colleges to seek university affiliation.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, represented by the Minister of State for Education, Suwaiba Said Ahmad, announced this in Abuja on Tuesday during a national summit.
The Minister described the initiative as a historic milestone for Nigeria’s educational sector.
She emphasized that, for the first time, Colleges of Education are legally empowered to run NCE and degree programmes concurrently in teacher education disciplines, citing the Federal Colleges of Education (Establishment) Act No. 43 of 2023.
According to the minister, the reform builds on decades of demonstrated competence and experience by these institutions.
The new dual-mandate system gives them full legislative and operational authority to expand their academic offerings while maintaining their core mission of producing highly skilled teachers.
Prof. Paulinus Chijioke Okwelle, Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), hailed the reform as transformative.
He noted that it will revitalize teacher education and broaden access for student-teachers.
“For decades, Colleges of Education partnered with universities to offer degrees.
“Today, they have full autonomy to award degrees directly, leveraging their own staff, infrastructure, and expertise,” he said.
He highlighted the benefits of producing graduates with both NCE and B.Ed qualifications, ensuring a steady supply of qualified teachers and retaining skilled educators in the system.
Hon. Adamu Tanko, Chairman of the House Committee on Federal Colleges of Education, assured stakeholders that degrees awarded by these colleges will hold the same value as those conferred by conventional universities.
The Ministry of Education also pledged ongoing support through policy guidance, technical assistance, and resource mobilization to ensure the reform’s successful implementation.
Previously, Colleges of Education in Nigeria could only offer NCE programmes and had to collaborate with universities to confer degrees.
