By Parrot Newspaper 
COEs to Award Degrees from September 2025
Dual Mandate for Colleges of Education Set to Begin in 2025: A Lifeline or a New Era?
By Parrot Newspaper Staff
The long-anticipated dual mandate that allows Colleges of Education (COEs) to award both bachelor’s degrees and the National Certificate in Education (NCE) is officially set to roll out from September 2025.
This development was confirmed by the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, during a follow-up session in Abuja on Tuesday, April 22, following resolutions reached at the last biannual stakeholders’ meeting.
Originally signed into law in 2023, the dual mandate had been slated for takeoff in the 2024/2025 academic session. However, Alausa disclosed that the implementation has now been shifted to September 2025 to allow for better preparedness and structural adjustments. Only federal colleges of education that have been in existence for at least 10 years will participate in the pilot phase.
A Shift Away from Conversion
For years, declining enrolment and a perception of COEs as “second-choice” institutions led to calls for their conversion into universities. But Alausa made it clear that with the new dual mandate, that conversation is over.
“With this dual mandate, there is no need for conversion to university status. You should be the ones pushing for implementation, not the other way around. It’s a matter of your survival,” he told COE administrators and staff.
Alausa emphasized that this reform is not just an academic upgrade—it is a strategic intervention meant to safeguard the relevance and longevity of Nigeria’s colleges of education. “The government has secured the future of COEs. It is now up to you to sustain them. Failure to embrace this mandate could lead to extinction,” he warned.
Reviving a Once-Robust System
Reflecting on the past, Alausa lamented the loss of what was once a strong educational system, stressing the urgency of returning to excellence. “We once had a strong educational system, and that’s what we are working hard to restore. All hands are on deck to achieve this.”
But restoring strength in education, he noted, isn’t just about policies—it requires a new mindset among educators. He urged COEs to embrace 21st-century teaching methods by integrating technology, computational thinking, and critical skills into their curricula.
“The way we taught 30 or 50 years ago is no longer relevant,” he said. “You must start thinking about how to use technology in the classroom. Education and teaching methods are evolving.”
A Direct Answer to Learning Poverty
Beyond institutional survival, the dual mandate is also expected to help address Nigeria’s deepening educational crisis. With millions of children out of school and the country ranked among those with the highest learning poverty, the government sees COEs as a frontline force in the rescue mission.
Alausa made it clear: teachers are not just participants in this transformation—they are the drivers. “As teachers, you are at the centre of driving this change, and you must also challenge yourselves,” he said.
Looking Ahead
As Nigeria prepares for the rollout in 2025, attention will be on how well colleges of education can adapt to the challenge. For many, this is more than a policy shift—it’s a second chance to redefine the purpose of COEs in national development.
Whether this dual mandate becomes a turning point or just another missed opportunity depends on how quickly stakeholders—especially educators—move from policy acceptance to active implementation.
One thing is clear: the era of excuses is over, and the race to transform education has begun.