The National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) has said that the newly introduced Dual Mandate Policy, which allows Colleges of Education to award bachelor’s degrees, will help ease pressure on university admissions across Nigeria.
The Executive Secretary of the commission, Angela Ajala, disclosed this on Friday during a media parley held at the NCCE headquarters in Abuja. The event was themed “A New Dawn for Teacher Education in Nigeria.”
Under the policy, eligible Federal Colleges of Education will now be able to award both the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) and Bachelor’s Degrees in Education independently, without affiliation to universities. This marks a departure from the previous arrangement where colleges relied on partner universities for degree certification.
Ajala explained that the reform is aimed at widening access to higher education, reducing overcrowding in universities, and improving the quality of teacher training in the country.
“The policy will expand access to higher education; reduce pressure on universities; strengthen teacher specialisation; improve institutional autonomy; and attract more candidates into teaching,” she stated.
She further noted that the initiative stems from the Federal Colleges of Education Act No. 132 of July 24, 2023, signed into law by President Bola Tinubu. Full implementation is expected to begin in the 2026/2027 academic session.
According to her, the commission is already collaborating with the National Universities Commission (NUC) to ensure a smooth transition.
“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 is at par with that of the universities.”
She added that under the new structure, “NCE programme is to run for three years, while degree components will be for two years.”
Ajala also said that state-owned and private Colleges of Education would be allowed to adopt the policy once they domesticate the framework.
She emphasized that the reform is not intended to dilute the identity of Colleges of Education but to strengthen them.
“Let no one misunderstand this reform. The Dual Mandate is not about making Colleges of Education lose their identity.
“It is about strengthening that identity. It is about saying that teacher education must no longer be treated as a lower pathway. It is a professional pathway. It is a national development pathway. It is a future-shaping pathway.
“It means a student who chooses a College of Education today is not choosing a lesser path.”
Ajala also disclosed that the commission is reviewing admission processes into Colleges of Education to improve access while maintaining academic standards.
“The commission is aware of concerns around access, enrolment, admission processes and the attractiveness of the NCE pathway.
“We are currently in active discussions with relevant agencies and stakeholders on a more flexible, professionally responsive admission framework for teacher education, especially for the NCE.
“The goal is simple: We want to remove administrative barriers, not professional standards.”
She stressed that while access to teacher education must be expanded, quality and standards would not be compromised.
According to her, aspiring teachers should not be discouraged by bureaucratic challenges.
“What we are saying is that a young Nigerian who is passionate about teaching should not be discouraged by avoidable administrative obstacles,” she stated.
Ajala further called for the production of competent and well-trained educators, saying Nigeria needs “prepared teachers, professional teachers, competent teachers, ethical teachers, future-ready teachers.”
She also announced broader reforms within the commission, noting that the NCCE is transitioning from a purely regulatory body to a more development-focused institution.
“NCCE is not just a compliance agency. Yes, we regulate. Yes, we accredit. Yes, we monitor standards. Yes, we review institutional readiness.
“But under this administration, NCCE must become more than a commission that checks files, inspects facilities and submits reports.
“We are shifting from being seen only as a compliance regulator to becoming a development-focused agency,” she noted.
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Ajala said the commission will now focus more on learning outcomes and the effectiveness of teachers produced by Colleges of Education.
“We will not only ask: What is in the accreditation report? We must also ask: What is happening to the child in the classroom?
“We must be concerned about whether the teacher produced can teach effectively, inspire learners, use technology, support children, solve classroom problems and improve learning.”
She also revealed that the teacher education curriculum is being redesigned to align with global trends and emerging technologies, including digital literacy, artificial intelligence awareness, entrepreneurship education, inclusive education, emotional intelligence, STEM education, and competency-based learning.
“We cannot prepare teachers for chalkboard-only classrooms when children are growing up in a digital world.
“We cannot prepare teachers for rote learning when the global economy now demands creativity, collaboration, communication, problem-solving and innovation,” she stated.
Ajala, while addressing journalists, described the media as a key partner in reforming education and urged journalists to help reshape public perception of the teaching profession.
“For too long, teaching has been portrayed as a last-resort profession. That narrative is inaccurate. That narrative is harmful. That narrative must change,” she said.
She reaffirmed that teacher education remains central to national development and called on stakeholders to support ongoing reforms.
The NCCE was established on 17 January 1989 as the regulatory body responsible for the orderly development, coordination and quality assurance of teacher education in Nigeria.
Angela Ajala, the first female and seventh Executive Secretary of the commission, was appointed by President Bola Tinubu on March 10, 2026, and assumed office on March 17, 2026.