The Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), Prof Paulinus Chijioke, has assured that the dignity of teachers in Nigeria will soon be restored with ongoing reforms in the teacher education sector.
Chijioke, who spoke in Abuja, said the recent approval of a dual mandate for selected colleges of education to run both Nigerian Certificate in Education (NCE) and degree programmes from the 2025/2026 academic session would reposition the teaching profession.
According to him, 18 colleges have been selected for the pilot phase, based on their facilities, manpower, and history of producing degree graduates in affiliation with universities.
He said the initiative will expand access, address wastage of resources, and eliminate bottlenecks faced by NCE graduates seeking degree upgrades.
The NCCE boss stressed that degree holders produced under the dual system would not face discrimination, noting that the National Assembly has pledged to legislate against any dichotomy between university and college graduates.
On concerns about low enrolment, Chijioke attributed the trend to public apathy towards teaching, describing it as a profession wrongly perceived to have low status.
He said the government is working on incentives, including scholarships, allowances, and improved welfare, to attract the best talents to classrooms.
