The Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Colleges of Education, Dr. Angela Ajala, has warned that Nigeria is facing a serious teacher education crisis that could have far-reaching consequences for the country’s future if urgent reforms are not implemented.
Speaking at education stakeholders’ meetings and reform engagements, Ajala stressed that teacher education is central to national development, arguing that the quality of teachers determines the quality of every other profession in the country.
She highlighted alarming challenges in the sector, including teacher shortages, declining enrollment in some colleges of education, and inadequate recruitment of teachers by several states. According to her, 18 states reportedly went five consecutive years without recruiting a single teacher, worsening the manpower gap in schools.
Ajala also expressed concern about low student enrollment in some colleges of education and the declining attractiveness of the teaching profession, warning that these trends threaten the sustainability of Nigeria’s education system.
The NCCE boss emphasized the need for comprehensive reforms, including curriculum modernization, digital literacy, artificial intelligence training, entrepreneurship education, and competency-based learning for future teachers.
She defended the Federal Government’s Dual Mandate policy, which allows qualified colleges of education to award both the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) and Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) degrees, describing it as a major step toward strengthening teacher training institutions.
Ajala warned that the consequences of neglecting teacher education would extend beyond schools, stating:
“You miss it with teacher education, you miss it with Nigeria.”
She called on governments, education stakeholders, unions, development partners, and the private sector to support efforts aimed at repositioning teacher education and restoring the status of the teaching profession.
The warning comes amid broader concerns about teacher shortages nationwide and ongoing efforts by the NCCE to reform colleges of education and improve the quality of teacher training across Nigeria.
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