The Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), Dr. Angela Ajala, has called on the Federal Government and other stakeholders to prioritise teacher education, describing it as the foundation for building a world-class education system and developing competent manpower in Nigeria.
Ajala made the call on Tuesday in Abuja during an interview session with the Association of Corporate Online Editors (ACOE), where she highlighted the need for sustained investment, partnerships and reforms to reposition teacher education in the country.
She stressed that the quality of teachers determines the quality of professionals produced by any nation, noting that every profession depends on the knowledge and foundation provided by teachers.
“Nigeria cannot build a world-class education system with second-class attention to teacher education. Teacher education must be the priority at the front burner of anything Nigeria wants to do. If you miss it with teacher education, you miss it with Nigeria,” she said.
The NCCE boss, who described herself as a trained teacher with over 30 years of experience, said the commission was implementing reforms aimed at making Colleges of Education more attractive and equipping prospective teachers with relevant skills.
She identified the introduction of the dual mandate, which allows Colleges of Education to award both the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) and Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) degrees, as a major step towards revitalising the profession.
According to her, the policy, signed into law by President Bola Tinubu in 2023, was introduced to address declining interest in teacher education and improve the status of the NCE qualification.
Ajala also highlighted the review of the teacher education curriculum, explaining that the new competency-based approach allocates 70 per cent to practical training and 30 per cent to theoretical learning.
She said the curriculum had been expanded to accommodate emerging fields, including Artificial Intelligence, robotics, data analytics, cybersecurity and coding, particularly under Computer Education.
The commission, she added, had also introduced skills certification into the five-year programme, comprising three years for the NCE and two years for the degree qualification.
She explained that the initiative would provide students with additional vocational and entrepreneurial skills, enabling them to explore other economic opportunities alongside teaching.
On funding, Ajala said government resources alone could not adequately support the reforms, making partnerships with development organisations and international institutions essential.
She disclosed that the NCCE was collaborating with the European Union, UNESCO and the British Council, while Oxford University was supporting aspects of the reforms and Cambridge University had indicated interest in providing assistance.
She also said the commission had established a Reform Delivery Unit to monitor implementation and provide quarterly reports, alongside plans for a digital dashboard to track activities in Colleges of Education nationwide.
According to her, the NCCE’s strategic plan for 2026 to 2031 targets the enrolment of at least 80 per cent of Colleges of Education into the dual mandate by 2031.
Ajala further emphasised the need to attract young Nigerians into teaching by improving professional opportunities, strengthening training and demonstrating the future prospects of the profession.
She urged policymakers, development partners and other stakeholders to give teacher education the attention required to drive national development.
