Education Minister
The Federal Government has announced that the recently granted dual mandate to Colleges of Education will enhance the quality and scope of teacher education in Nigeria.
Speaking at the National Education Summit in Abuja on Thursday, the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, represented by the Minister of State for Education, Suwaiba Ahmad, described the reform as a “historic milestone” for Nigeria’s educational system.
The new policy, backed by the Federal Colleges of Education (Establishment) Act No. 43 of 2023, allows Colleges of Education to offer both Nigerian Certificate in Education (NCE) and degree programmes simultaneously.
“For the first time, our Colleges of Education are legally empowered to run NCE and degree programmes concurrently. This gives them full legislative and operational authority to expand academic offerings while staying true to their core mission of training professional teachers,” Ahmad said.
The Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), Prof. Paulinus Okwelle, also praised the reform, stating that it would revitalize teacher education and broaden access for aspiring educators.
“Previously, colleges had to partner with universities to award degrees. Now, with legal backing, they can offer degree programmes independently using their own academic resources and staff,” he noted.
Prof. Okwelle emphasized that the dual mandate will lead to the graduation of teachers with both NCE and Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) degrees, improve the teacher supply pipeline, and help retain skilled educators within the system.
Also speaking, Chairman of the House Committee on Federal Colleges of Education, Hon. Adamu Tanko, assured stakeholders that degrees awarded by Colleges of Education will hold the same value and recognition as those awarded by traditional universities.
