Nigeria’s 205 Colleges of Education ‘grossly inadequate – Speaker Abbas

By Christiana Ekpa

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen on Tuesday revealed that despite having about 205 federal, state and privately-owned colleges of education across the country, the number still remain inadequate to meet the educational needs of the country.

Speaking in Abuja during a public hearing, Abbas said that the growing demand of education in the country makes the demand for more colleges of education imperative.

He said “currently, Nigeria has about 205 federal, state and privately-owned colleges of education. On the face value, this number looks substantial. However, when considered against the backdrop of Nigeria’s population of about 230 million, with over 60% under the age of 24 years, the demand for education makes the number of existing colleges of education in Nigeria quite insignificant.

“Therefore, these bills seeking to establish ten (10) colleges of education should be seen as relevant, appropriate and justified.”

The Speaker said human capital is the key driver of development in any society, adding that material resources, though important, will remain latent until they are activated and galvanized by human knowledge, skills and innovation for national development, social mobility and economic empowerment.

He said further that at the core of human capital development is education, adding that “one way to sustain education is through the ceaseless production of well-trained and highly skilled teachers for primary and secondary education.

“It is pertinent, therefore, that we continue to strengthen teacher education in Nigeria by expanding access to quality institutions that will train the next generation of educators”.

The Speaker said the bills under consideration reflect the collective commitment as lawmakers to ensuring that every region of the country has equitable access to quality teacher education.

He said “the establishment of new Federal Colleges of Education will not only improve the training of professional teachers, but will also foster educational development, create employment opportunities, and stimulate socio-economic growth in the host communities.”