The Federal Government has uncovered and shut down 22 illegal Colleges of Education operating across the country as part of ongoing efforts to sanitise Nigeria’s education sector.
The disclosure was contained in a recent achievements report released by the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) and made available to journalists on Monday.
According to the Commission, the clampdown became necessary to safeguard academic standards, protect unsuspecting students from falling victim to unaccredited institutions, and uphold the integrity of teacher education in Nigeria.
Although the names of the affected institutions were not made public, the Commission explained that they fell short of required standards after the NCCE conducted a personnel audit and financial monitoring across all 21 federal Colleges of Education.
“The NCCE identified and shut down 22 illegal Colleges of Education operating across the country. The NCCE also conducted personnel audit and financial monitoring in all the 21 federal Colleges of Education,” the statement read.
The move aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s recent directive to regulatory bodies to eliminate illegal tertiary institutions in Nigeria. Speaking at the 14th convocation ceremony of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) in Abuja, the President charged the National Universities Commission (NUC), the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), and the NCCE to take decisive action against what he described as “certificate millers” that undermine the credibility of Nigeria’s education system.
Represented at the event by Rakiya Ilyasu, Director of University Education at the Federal Ministry of Education, Tinubu stressed the need to strengthen coordination among education agencies to enhance quality and efficiency.
“At this juncture, it has become imperative to reiterate that this administration remains committed to strengthening the integration of all agencies involved in the administration of education to enhance efficiency and quality,” Tinubu said.
He added that the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), NUC, NBTE, and NCCE are already working in alignment to improve standards and ensure that unrecognised institutions and cases of forgery are eliminated.
