The Federal Government has said that most federal colleges of education in Nigeria now operate a dual-mandate system that allows students to graduate with both the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) and a Bachelor of Education degree.
The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Tuesday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme.
According to the minister, the new system was introduced in 2025 as part of efforts by the Federal Government to improve teacher education, attract more students into colleges of education, and strengthen the quality of teaching in schools across the country.
Under the arrangement, students admitted into colleges of education would first begin with the regular NCE programme. After completing three years of study, those who meet the university admission requirements would proceed to spend an additional two years to obtain a Bachelor of Education degree.
Alausa explained that students who successfully complete the five-year process would graduate with two qualifications — the NCE and a university degree in education.
“From last year alone, dual-mandate colleges of education and all federal colleges of education today, most of them, except the ones that were founded five years and below, now offer dual-mandate degree,” the minister said.
“That student will now go, they’ll enter as an NCE, they’ll do three years. After three years, if they meet the requirement to go to universities, which is five credits, they’ll continue and do another two years and get two degrees.
“Five years, you get NCE, National College of Education Diploma, and you get a Bachelor of Education degree,” he added.
The minister said the reform had already started improving the future of colleges of education by making the institutions more attractive to students.
According to him, enrolment in colleges of education has increased since the introduction of the dual-mandate programme.
“That has really now put colleges of education into sustainability for the future. So we’ve had more traction of students going. We need a better pool of more teachers, high-quality teachers,” Alausa stated.
For many years, colleges of education in Nigeria struggled with low student enrolment as many young Nigerians preferred universities and polytechnics. Many students also saw the NCE qualification as less competitive compared to university degrees.
This situation affected the number of people willing to train as teachers despite the growing need for qualified teachers across the country.
Reports by local and international education bodies have shown that many schools across Nigeria lack enough qualified teachers, proper infrastructure, and teaching materials.
The Federal Government believes the dual-mandate system could help solve part of the problem by making teacher education more attractive while also improving the quality of graduates entering the education sector.
The minister explained that the arrangement is similar to the transition process from National Diploma (ND) programmes in polytechnics to university degree programmes.
Under the current model, students who complete their NCE and meet the required academic standards can move directly into degree programmes within the same institution instead of seeking separate university admission.
Alausa disclosed that about 28 federal colleges of education have already started implementing the programme.
He added that state-owned colleges of education are also expected to begin the system from the 2026 academic session after making necessary changes to their state laws.
“Now, for the state colleges of education, they now have to change their individual state legislation to make that happen,” he said.
“I think, as of the last count, we have almost 18 states or 17 states that have done that.
“They would also be doing that from this 2026 academic session. That’s a huge change in our colleges of education,” the minister added.
The development marks one of the biggest reforms in teacher education in recent years.
Historically, colleges of education in Nigeria were established mainly to train teachers for basic education through the NCE programme. The NCE remains the minimum teaching qualification for primary and junior secondary schools in Nigeria.
However, over the years, many graduates with only NCE qualifications faced limited career opportunities and lower chances of advancement compared to university degree holders.
The demand for university degrees in the labour market also reduced interest in colleges of education.
To address this challenge, the Federal Government introduced the dual-mandate policy to allow colleges of education award degrees in affiliation with universities or independently under approved regulations.
Supporters of the reform say it will help restore confidence in colleges of education and encourage more young Nigerians to consider teaching as a professional career.
Education stakeholders have also argued that improving teacher quality is important for solving broader problems in Nigeria’s education sector.
Nigeria continues to battle learning challenges, poor examination performance, overcrowded classrooms, and shortage of teachers in many public schools.
According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), Nigeria also has one of the highest numbers of out-of-school children in the world.
Despite the optimism surrounding the reform, some education analysts have warned that proper funding and infrastructure would be needed for the programme to succeed.
Many colleges of education across the country currently face challenges such as inadequate classrooms, poor hostel facilities, shortage of lecturers, and insufficient learning equipment.
The minister, however, maintained that the policy would increase access to higher education while producing more qualified teachers for the country.
He clarified that not every student would automatically proceed to the degree stage after completing the NCE programme.
According to him, only students who meet the required O’level qualifications and academic standards would continue for the additional two years.
“If you don’t meet those requirements, you terminate at NCE. But the key thing, beyond opening up more access, is to now create pool,” Alausa explained.
The reform comes at a time when the Federal Government is seeking major changes in the education sector under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
Education remains one of the critical sectors expected to support national development, reduce unemployment and improve economic growth.
For many Nigerians, the success of the new dual-mandate system will depend on proper implementation, adequate funding, and the ability of colleges of education to maintain high academic standards while expanding access to students nationwide.