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From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), Dr. Angela Ajala, has warned that Nigeria risks a bleak future if urgent steps are not taken to strengthen teacher education.
Dr. Ajala cautioned that the country’s development could be endangered if the teaching profession continues to suffer neglect, poor perception and declining enrolment into teacher-training institutions.
Speaking during a courtesy visit by members of the Education Correspondents’ Association of Nigeria (ECAN) in Abuja on Tuesday, she stressed that no nation could rise above the quality of its teachers.
“If you get it wrong with a teacher, just know that Nigeria is finished. Every engineer, doctor, scientist, entrepreneur, politician and leader passes through the hands of a teacher. Teacher education lies at the heart of national development,” she said.
The NCCE boss declared war on what she described as decades of neglect and misrepresentation of the teaching profession, insisting that teachers must be restored to their rightful place in society.
She condemned the long-standing notion that teaching is a profession for people who have no other options, describing such perception as dangerous to Nigeria’s educational future.
“Something went wrong somewhere. We moved from a society where teachers were highly respected to one where people say, ‘If you have nothing else to do, go and become a teacher.’ That narrative must change,” she stated.
According to Ajala, teachers shape the future of nations more than many other professionals, warning that the damage caused by poorly trained teachers could last across generations. “You can fix a faulty car but when a teacher damages a child in the classroom, that damage can last a lifetime. Those children become future leaders and professionals,” she added.
Ajala also defended the recent removal of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) requirement for admission into Colleges of Education, dismissing concerns that the policy would lower academic standards.
She argued that UTME is largely a placement examination and not the sole measure of intellectual ability. “What is UTME? It is a two-hour examination. It is not an achievement test. Decisions like these were not taken arbitrarily; they were based on evidence, data and projections about the future of teacher education in Nigeria,” she explained.
The NCCE boss warned that Nigeria could face a severe shortage of teachers within the next six years if enrolment into colleges of education continues to decline.
“In some colleges, you find barely 30 students across 10 programmes. The attrition rate is alarming. If we do not act now, Nigeria may not have enough teachers in the near future,” she warned.
Highlighting the ongoing reforms, Ajala said the introduction of the dual mandate policy would transform Colleges of Education into institutions capable of producing graduates with multiple qualifications and global competitiveness.
Under the arrangement, she said, students would graduate with the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE), degree qualifications and internationally recognised skills certification.
“Who else offers that opportunity? Colleges of Education are becoming institutions where students can earn multiple qualifications and acquire international skills that make them globally competitive,” she said.
She further disclosed that the Commission is reviewing curricula across Colleges of Education to align teacher training with global standards and emerging realities.
She called on education journalists to partner with the Commission in changing public attitudes towards teaching, describing the media as a critical stakeholder in education reform.
Addressing the ECAN delegation led by its Chairman, Mr. Chuks Ukwuatu, she said: “You are not just reporters; you are reformers. What you report shapes public opinion, influences policy conversations and changes mindsets.”
Ukwuatu congratulated Ajala on her appointment as the first female Executive Secretary of the NCCE and pledged the association’s commitment to objective and constructive reporting of education policies and programmes.
He also informed the Commission about ECAN’s forthcoming Education Conference and Awards, aimed at assessing reforms under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda in the education sector.
Both parties expressed commitment to deeper collaboration to strengthen teacher education and accelerate reforms across Nigeria’s colleges of education.
