In a bid to rewrite the story of teacher education in Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu has launched the Dual Mandate Policy. This reform allows all Federal Colleges of Education (FCOEs) to award both the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) and Bachelor’s degrees. With the signing of the Federal Colleges of Education Act, 2023, Tinubu said his government was ready to confront longstanding challenges in teacher preparation. He noted that these challenges have weakened the education system for decades.
Education experts say this reform is coming at the right time. For years, FCOEs depended heavily on universities for affiliation before awarding degrees, a process many stakeholders described as slow, expensive, and limiting. Nevertheless, under the new Act, once a College of Education meets National Universities Commission (NUC) standards, it can run its own degree programmes without external supervision. In simple terms, this means more autonomy, faster innovation, and better academic standards.
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, who announced the policy in Abuja, explained that the move is not only about issuing degrees but about raising teacher quality nationwide. According to him, Nigeria cannot achieve meaningful development if those who train future leaders are not adequately equipped. “This policy will strengthen our teacher training framework and expand access to higher education,” he said.
Education analyst Dr Grace Oloyede agrees. She told our correspondent that the Dual Mandate could reduce the bottleneck that has kept thousands of aspiring teachers away from degree programmes. “Many students prefer universities because they want degrees, not NCE alone. With this reform, Colleges of Education can attract stronger candidates and improve professionalism in the sector,” she noted.
The Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), Professor Paulinus Chijioke, described the policy as a doorway to massive opportunities. He believes the dual-mode approach will boost enrollment and ultimately uplift the teaching profession by giving students more flexible pathways.
Beyond policy, the human angle of reform also came into focus. The Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) awarded N3.5 million scholarships to six exceptional students—one from each geopolitical zone—while the Minister of State for Education, Dr Yusuf Sununu, promised federal scholarships for the recipients.
As discussions continue about converting all Federal Colleges of Education into Universities of Education, one thing is clear: the Dual Mandate Policy may be the boldest step taken in years to restore dignity, competence, and professionalism to teaching in Nigeria.
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