The Minister of Education, Maruf Alausa, has disclosed that most federal colleges of education across Nigeria now operate a dual-mandate system that allows students to graduate with both the Nigeria Certificate in Education and a Bachelor of Education degree.
Alausa made the disclosure during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, describing the initiative as a major reform aimed at strengthening teacher education and improving enrolment across colleges of education nationwide.
According to the minister, the policy, introduced in 2025, enables students to gain admission into colleges of education through the traditional NCE pathway and, after completing three years, proceed to earn a university degree within an additional two years if they satisfy the academic requirements.
He explained that students who successfully meet the prescribed university entry qualifications, particularly the minimum five-credit O’level requirement, would automatically transition into the degree phase of the programme.
“From last year alone, dual-mandate colleges of education and all federal colleges of education today, most of them, except those established within the last five years, now offer dual-mandate degrees,” Alausa said.
He added that under the structure, students complete their initial NCE programme after three years and, upon meeting admission benchmarks, continue for two more years to obtain a Bachelor of Education degree.
“In five years, you earn both the NCE diploma and a Bachelor of Education degree,” he stated.
The minister noted that the reform has significantly improved the sustainability of colleges of education and boosted student enrolment, reversing years of declining interest in teacher training institutions.
“That has now positioned colleges of education for sustainability into the future. We are already seeing increased student enrolment. Nigeria needs a stronger pool of high-quality teachers, and this reform supports that objective,” he said.
Alausa likened the model to the academic progression obtainable in polytechnics, where students move from National Diploma to higher qualifications through clearly defined pathways.
He revealed that about 28 federal colleges of education have already commenced implementation of the dual-mandate programme, while several state-owned colleges are expected to begin from the 2026 academic session.
According to him, implementation at state institutions depends on amendments to relevant state laws.
“As of the last count, about 17 or 18 states have completed the legislative adjustments required for their colleges to begin implementation this 2026 academic session,” he said.
The minister clarified that students who fail to meet university admission requirements after their NCE studies would exit the programme with only the NCE qualification.
“If you do not meet those requirements, your programme terminates at NCE. But beyond widening access, the broader goal is to create a larger and stronger teaching workforce for the country,” he added.
The dual-mandate reform is part of broader federal government efforts to reposition teacher education and increase tertiary education access amid concerns over low enrolment in colleges of education and the shortage of qualified teachers in Nigeria’s basic education sector.
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