Dr. Angela Ajala
The Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), Dr. Angela Ajala, has disclosed that the full implementation of the Federal Government’s Dual Mandate Policy for Colleges of Education to award degrees will commence in the 2026/2027 academic session.
Ajala disclosed this during a media parley on the repositioning of teacher education in Nigeria held under the theme, “A New Dawn for Teacher Education in Nigeria.
She described the policy as one of the most significant reforms in the history of teacher education in the country, noting that qualified Federal Colleges of Education would now award both the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) and Bachelor’s Degrees in Education independently without affiliation to universities.
According to her, the reform was backed by the Federal Colleges of Education Act No. 132 of July 24, 2023, signed into law by President Bola Tinubu shortly after assuming office.
“The Federal Ministry of Education directed that the full implementation of the Dual Mandate should commence unfailingly from the 2026/2027 Academic Session,” Ajala stated.
She explained that under the arrangement, the NCE programme would run for three years, while the degree component would span two years.
Ajala added that the Commission had already drafted a curriculum that would allow NCE holders to transition smoothly into degree programmes.
She said: “We are working in collaboration with the National Universities Commission to work out the modalities for its seamless take-off as directed by the Federal Government.
“A draft curriculum that allows NCE to dovetail into the degree programmes has been drafted by the Commission and forwarded to NUC for more inputs to ensure that the quality of the degrees to be awarded by Colleges of Education are at par with that of the universities.”
The NCCE boss described the Dual Mandate as a “historic structural reform” aimed at strengthening teacher education and expanding access to higher education in Nigeria.
The executive secretary said: “Let me say this without hesitation: The Dual Mandate is the most significant structural reform in Nigerian teacher education in decades.
“For many years, Colleges of Education were seen by some people as limited institutions. That perception is now changing.”
She stressed that students seeking admission into Colleges of Education should no longer see the institutions as inferior alternatives to universities.
“A student who chooses a College of Education today is not choosing a lesser path.
It means Colleges of Education are being repositioned as stronger, more competitive and more attractive institutions for teacher preparation,” she said.
Ajala noted that state and private Colleges of Education willing to participate in the policy would be required to domesticate the reform before implementation.
She explained that the policy would help reduce pressure on universities while improving institutional autonomy and teacher specialisation.
Source: The Nation
