At a National Summit in Abuja, the Minister of State for Education, Suwaiba Said Ahmad, represented the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, and hailed the initiative as "a historic milestone in Nigeria's educational development."
For the first time, Colleges of Education have been legally empowered to run NCE and degree programs concurrently in teacher education disciplines, thanks to the Federal Colleges of Education (Establishment) Act No. 43 of 2023.
The reform builds on the institutions' decades of experience and competence, granting them full legislative and operational authority to expand their academic offerings while maintaining their core mission of producing highly skilled and professional teachers.
Prof. Paulinus Chijioke Okwelle, Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), described the reform as "historic," noting that it would revitalize teacher education and expand access for student-teachers.
The dual-mandate system allows Colleges of Education to leverage their own manpower, infrastructure, and academic expertise to offer degrees directly, rather than partnering with universities.
Benefits of the reform include producing graduates with both NCE and B.Ed qualifications, ensuring a steady supply of qualified teachers, and retaining skilled educators within the system.
The Ministry of Education has pledged continued support through policy guidelines, technical assistance, and resource mobilization to ensure successful implementation.
Traditionally, Colleges of Education in Nigeria were limited to offering only NCE programs and had to collaborate with universities to award degrees.