NCCE Boss Urges FG to Prioritise Teacher Education in National Development Agenda
Oru Leonard
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 make teacher education a priority in Nigeria’s national development agenda, describing it as the foundation for building a world-class education system.
Ajala said the quality of teachers determines the standard of professionals produced by any country, stressing that sustainable national development depends largely on the quality of teacher training.
She made the call on Tuesday in Abuja during an interactive session with the Association of Corporate Online Editors (ACOE), where she outlined ongoing reforms, funding challenges and strategies to reposition teacher education in Nigeria.
According to her, Nigeria cannot achieve excellence in education without deliberate investment in the training and professional development of 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 Executive Secretary, who disclosed that she has over 30 years of experience as a trained teacher, said the commission was implementing policies to make Colleges of Education more attractive and equip graduates with relevant skills for the changing demands of the labour market.
She identified the introduction of the dual mandate, which empowers Colleges of Education to award both the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) and Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) degrees, as a major reform designed to strengthen the teaching profession.
She explained that the policy, signed into law by President Bola Tinubu in 2023, was introduced to address declining interest in teacher education and enhance the status of the NCE qualification.
Ajala also disclosed that the NCCE had reviewed the teacher education curriculum, adopting a competency-based approach that allocates 70 per cent to practical training and 30 per cent to theoretical learning.
She said the revised curriculum incorporates emerging areas of knowledge and technology, including Artificial Intelligence, robotics, data analytics, cybersecurity and coding, particularly in Computer Education.
The commission has also introduced skills certification into the five-year programme, comprising three years for the NCE and two years for the degree qualification.
According to her, the initiative is expected to equip prospective teachers with vocational and entrepreneurial competencies that will enable them to explore additional economic opportunities beyond classroom teaching.
On funding, Ajala acknowledged that government resources alone would not be sufficient to implement the reforms, underscoring the importance of partnerships with international development organisations and institutions.
She disclosed that the commission was collaborating with the European Union, UNESCO and the British Council, while Oxford University was supporting some aspects of the reforms and Cambridge University had indicated interest in offering assistance.
To ensure effective implementation, she said the NCCE had established a Reform Delivery Unit responsible for monitoring progress and producing quarterly reports.
She added that plans were also underway to introduce a digital dashboard to monitor activities and track the implementation of reforms across Colleges of Education nationwide.
Ajala further revealed that the commission’s 2026–2031 strategic plan targets the enrolment of at least 80 per cent of Colleges of Education into the dual mandate by 2031.
She emphasised the need to attract more young Nigerians into the teaching profession through improved professional opportunities, quality training and a clear demonstration of the career prospects available to teachers.
The NCCE boss urged the Federal Government, policymakers, development partners and other stakeholders to increase their commitment to teacher education, noting that the future of Nigeria’s education system and human capital development depends significantly on the quality of its teachers.
