The Federal Government has approved the dual mode of concurrently running degree and Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) programmes in the country’s Colleges of Education (CoEs).
Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), Prof. Paulinus Chijioke, who disclosed at a programme organised by the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COASU), said the development would improve access to teacher education, address low enrolment, and ensure quality production of professional teachers in the country.
Chijioke also emphasised the need to continuously elevate the status of the teaching profession, ensuring that it attracts the brightest and most passionate individuals.
COEASU President, Dr Smart Olugbeko, commended President Bola Tinubu for assenting to the Colleges of Education Establishment Act, which granted the colleges autonomy to award degrees in teacher education concurrently with the previous NCE.
Based on the development, Olugbeko said the union has continuously encouraged members to refocus towards higher academic attainments, professional excellence, and productivity.
Following its degree awarding status, he said the union has initiated an upward review in the criteria for career progression for lecturers, to ensure that the qualifications and research output match global standards and justify the highly anticipated institution of professorial cadre.
“We are ready for this and we urge the Federal Government to see to the implementation,” he said
Meanwhile, COEASU has awarded N3.5 million to six exceptional students, each from the six geo-political zones. Additionally, the union conferred legacy awards on seasoned educators and stakeholders, including the Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Sonny Echono, the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, and former deputy governor of Bauchi State, Abdulmalik Mahmood, among others. Olugbeko, said the award was initiated to promote academic excellence.
“Our union has instituted a scholarship for the best student in the College of Education system in Nigeria. Through a transparent, objective, and externally coordinated process of examinations, we chose the best students within each zone, as well as the overall best among them.”
He also called on government agencies, private organisations, awardees, and individuals of goodwill towards educational development, to contribute to these prizes for the students.
The list of awardees include Nwachukwu Ruth, who emerged best student in North-Central zone from Nasarawa State College of Education, Akwanga; Musa Abdullahi, best student in North-East zone from Aminu Saleh College of Education, Azare, Bauchi; and Nusaiba Awwal Barau, best student in North-West from Sa’adatu Rimi College of Education, Kumbotso, Kano State.
Others are Nwoha Johnson Obinna, best student in the South-East zone from Benjamin Uwajomogu State College of Education, Ihite Uboma, Imo State; Ezeanofu Chisom Miracle, best student in South-South zone from Federal College of Education (Technical), Asaba, Delta; and Latona Mubarak, best student in South-West and overall best student in Nigeria from Federal College of Education, Iwo, Osun State.
The Minister of State for Education, Dr Yusuf Tanko Sununu, while presenting the awards to the students, restated the ministry’s commitment to improving teachers’ welfare.
Sununu said in addition to the COEASU awards, the Federal Government will also reward the students with scholarships. He directed them to submit their data to the Federal Scholarship Board, while urging people to see teaching as a profession, and not just an activity.
