The Federal Government has commenced the implementation of a landmark reform that empowers Colleges of Education across Nigeria to independently run both the National Certificate in Education (NCE) and degree programmes without the need for university affiliation.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, represented by Minister of State Suwaiba Ahmad, made the announcement at a National Summit in Abuja on Tuesday, August 19, 2025.
Describing the move as a “historic milestone”, the minister noted that the Federal Colleges of Education (Establishment) Act No. 43 of 2023 now provides the legal framework for Colleges of Education to operate NCE and degree programmes concurrently in teacher education disciplines.
“For the first time in our history, our Colleges of Education have been legally empowered to run NCE and degree programmes simultaneously. This marks a new era for teacher education in Nigeria,” she said.
The minister explained that the reform builds on the institutions’ decades of expertise, adding that the dual-mandate system grants them full legislative and operational authority to expand academic offerings while maintaining their primary role of producing highly skilled teachers.
