Starting from the 2025/2026 academic session, 18 Colleges of Education in Nigeria will begin offering degree programmes alongside the Nigerian Certificate in Education (NCE), following a new approval by the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE).
Professor Paulinus Chijioke, Executive Secretary of the NCCE, revealed this in a recent interview. He explained that the change was made possible by a 2023 amendment to the law, which initially only allowed NCE training.
Many of these colleges had previously offered degree programmes through university partnerships. Now, they will run the programmes independently, using their own facilities and staff.
Chijioke said the decision came after an assessment showed that many colleges had underused classrooms, equipment, and lecturers. The dual mandate will also help students move from NCE to degree levels within the same institution, without waiting for university admission.
He added that these colleges are specifically designed for teacher training and are fully equipped to provide quality education at both levels.
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