The National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) has set a target of enrolling at least 80 per cent of Colleges of Education in Nigeria into the dual mandate programme by 2031.
The Executive Secretary of the commission, Dr Angela Ajala, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja during an interview with the Association of Corporate Online Editors (ACOE), where she outlined ongoing reforms to improve teacher education and make the teaching profession more attractive to young Nigerians.
The dual mandate allows Colleges of Education to award both the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) and Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) degrees.
Ajala described the policy, signed into law by President Bola Tinubu in 2023, as critical to the survival and transformation of teacher education in the country.
She said the sector had experienced declining interest over the years due to negative perceptions surrounding the value of the NCE qualification.
“Teacher education is at the centre of national development because every other profession sits on teacher education. If you don’t prepare your teachers well, you cannot expect to have excellent manpower,” she said.
She commended Tinubu for approving the policy and acknowledged the contributions of the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, towards its implementation.
According to Ajala, the NCCE has removed NCE admission from the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) process to reduce barriers to entry, arguing that the examination body was established for placement rather than achievement assessment.
On maintaining academic standards, she said the commission had reviewed the curriculum in collaboration with the National Universities Commission (NUC), which supervises the degree component of the programme.
She added that institutions must meet specific requirements, including adequate infrastructure, qualified personnel and other essential resources, before they can commence degree programmes.
About 20 Colleges of Education are currently ready to implement the dual mandate, while other institutions will be admitted in phases.
Ajala clarified that state and privately owned colleges must obtain the necessary legal approval through their respective state Houses of Assembly before implementing the policy.
On curriculum reforms, she said the commission had adopted a competency-based approach, with 70 per cent practical training and 30 per cent theoretical learning to produce more skilled and professionally competent teachers.
The revised curriculum also introduces specialised areas in Computer Education, including Artificial Intelligence, robotics, data analytics, cybersecurity and coding.
She explained that the programme incorporates skills certification to equip students with additional competencies, entrepreneurial opportunities and practical knowledge beyond classroom teaching.
The five-year programme comprises three years of NCE training and two additional years for the degree qualification, with skills acquisition integrated into the learning process.
Speaking on the commission’s 2026–2031 strategic plan, Ajala identified staff training, institutional capacity building, partnerships and advocacy as key priorities for achieving the 80 per cent target.
She noted that government funding alone would not be sufficient to finance the reforms, disclosing that the commission was working with development partners, including the European Union, UNESCO and the British Council. Oxford University is also supporting aspects of the reform programme.
To strengthen accountability, the NCCE has established a Reform Delivery Unit to provide quarterly reports and is developing a digital dashboard to monitor activities across Colleges of Education nationwide.
According to her, the system will improve transparency, accountability and timely intervention in institutions requiring support.
Ajala, however, said it was too early to assess the impact of the reforms on student enrolment, noting that the current admission process had started only about two weeks earlier.
She maintained that improving teacher education must remain a national priority if Nigeria hopes to build a globally competitive education system.
“Nigeria cannot build a world-class education system with second-class attention to teacher education. If you miss it with teacher education, you miss it with Nigeria,” she said.
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