The Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), Angela Ajala, has called for urgent reforms in Nigeria’s teacher education system to reflect the demands of today’s rapidly evolving digital world.
Speaking in Abuja during a presentation titled “A New Dawn for Teacher Education in Nigeria,” Ajala unveiled a comprehensive reform agenda aimed at transforming Colleges of Education nationwide and improving the quality of teachers produced in the country.
According to her, the era of preparing teachers solely for traditional chalkboard classrooms is outdated, especially as children are growing up in a technology-driven environment.
“We cannot continue preparing teachers only for chalkboard classrooms when learners now exist in a digital age,” she said.
Ajala stressed that modern education requires teachers who can nurture creativity, collaboration, communication, innovation, and problem-solving skills rather than relying only on rote learning methods.
She explained that the NCCE is moving beyond its traditional role as a compliance regulator and is now focusing more on educational development and classroom learning outcomes.
The NCCE boss emphasized that teacher education remains central to national growth, noting that the quality of a country’s education system depends heavily on the quality of its teachers.
“If Nigeria desires better classrooms and stronger educational outcomes, then the country must invest in preparing better teachers through stronger Colleges of Education,” she stated.
Ajala revealed that the commission is currently implementing major curriculum reforms designed to align teacher training with present-day realities. The revised curriculum includes areas such as:
- Artificial Intelligence
- Digital literacy
- Entrepreneurship
- Competency-based learning
- Climate education
- Emotional intelligence
- STEM education
- Child protection
- Inclusive learning
She noted that the updated curriculum is intended to produce technologically skilled and globally competitive teachers capable of handling modern classroom challenges effectively.
While highlighting the importance of technology in education, Ajala maintained that technology would not replace teachers but would instead make technologically equipped teachers more efficient and relevant.
The NCCE executive secretary also spoke on the newly introduced Dual Mandate Policy, which allows qualified Federal Colleges of Education to independently award both the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) and Bachelor’s Degrees in Education without university affiliation.
She described the initiative as one of the most significant reforms in Nigeria’s teacher education sector in recent decades.
According to Ajala, the policy is aimed at strengthening Colleges of Education, increasing access to higher education, improving institutional independence, and encouraging more young Nigerians to embrace teaching as a profession.
She disclosed that the full implementation of the Dual Mandate Policy is expected to begin in the 2026/2027 academic session following the signing of the Federal Colleges of Education Act into law by Bola Tinubu in 2023.
On admission processes into Colleges of Education, Ajala said the commission is currently consulting stakeholders on creating a more flexible admission framework for NCE programmes while ensuring that professional standards are maintained.
“We are focused on removing unnecessary administrative obstacles, not lowering professional standards,” she clarified.
Ajala further appealed to the media to support ongoing reforms by helping improve public perception of the teaching profession, which she said has long been wrongly portrayed as a last-resort career path.
She reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to producing future-ready teachers capable of meeting the demands of modern Nigerian classrooms and contributing meaningfully to national development.
