The National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) has shut down 22 illegal Colleges of Education in a sweeping enforcement action aimed at restoring integrity to Nigeria’s teacher-training system.
In a statement posted on its official website, the commission said: “The NCCE identified and shut down 22 illegal Colleges of Education operating across the country.”
According to the NCCE, the affected institutions failed to meet required standards. This was after the agency conducted personnel audits and financial monitoring across all 21 federal Colleges of Education. While the commission has not yet released the list of affected schools. Officials say they operated without accreditation and offered unapproved programmes to unsuspecting students.
Presidential Directive Against ‘Certificate Millers’
The crackdown follows President Bola Tinubu’s directive for regulators to eliminate unapproved higher education providers. The directives was recently given at the 14th convocation ceremony of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) in Abuja. The President — represented by Rakiya Ilyasu, Director of University Education at the Federal Ministry of Education stressed the need for decisive action.
“The integrity of the academic system must be upheld,” Tinubu said, warning against what he called “certificate millers” who “undermine the credibility of the education sector.”
The President ordered the National Universities Commission (NUC), the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), and the NCCE to work together to stamp out fake and unaccredited institutions across the country.
Multi-Agency Collaboration to Safeguard Standards
Tinubu also highlighted his administration’s focus on inter-agency collaboration:
“The National Youth Service Corps, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, the National Universities Commission, the National Board for Technical Education and the National Commission for Colleges of Education are working in alignment to improve the quality of education and ensure that cases of forgery and unrecognised institutions both within and outside the country have no place in our education ecosystem.”
Education analysts note that many illegal colleges operate with unqualified staff and inadequate facilities, often exploiting students who end up with worthless certificates. The latest closures are part of broader efforts to curb academic fraud and protect students.
Background and Implications
This is not the first time the NCCE has taken such action. Past enforcement exercises have uncovered dozens of unlicensed institutions running unapproved NCE programmes in makeshift facilities. Stakeholders say the crackdown could help sanitise the teacher-training sector. They also urge the commission to publish the names of the affected schools to guide students and parents.
The development signals the government’s resolve to strengthen teacher education. Ensuring only accredited colleges operate, and restore public confidence in Nigeria’s tertiary education system.