The National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) has uncovered and shut down 22 illegal colleges of education operating across the country.
The commission disclosed the development in its latest performance report, noting that the action followed a nationwide crackdown on unaccredited institutions.
“The NCCE identified and shut down 22 illegal Colleges of Education operating across the country. The commission also conducted personnel audits and financial monitoring in all 21 federal colleges of education,” the report stated.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had recently directed regulatory agencies in the education sector, including the NCCE, the National Universities Commission (NUC), and the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), to clamp down on illegal tertiary institutions.
Speaking 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, warned that “certificate millers” were undermining the credibility of Nigeria’s education system.
“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 working together to improve educational standards and ensure that forged certificates and unaccredited institutions, both within and outside Nigeria, are eliminated from the system.
The crackdown comes as part of ongoing efforts to protect students, restore confidence in Nigeria’s education system, and ensure that only properly accredited institutions operate in the country.
