The National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) has announced the closure of 22 illegal Colleges of Education operating across the country.
According to the Commission, the move followed a crackdown on unaccredited institutions, during which personnel audits and financial monitoring were also carried out in all 21 federal colleges of education.
President Bola Tinubu had recently directed regulatory agencies in the education sector to intensify efforts in eliminating illegal institutions. Speaking at the 14th convocation of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) in Abuja, the President, represented by the Director of University Education at the Federal Ministry of Education, Rakiya Ilyasu, described such institutions as “certificate millers” that undermine the integrity of the education system.
He stressed the administration’s commitment to strengthening collaboration among agencies such as the National Universities Commission (NUC), the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), the NCCE, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to safeguard quality and credibility in the sector.
“The integrity of the academic system must not be compromised,” the President said, reaffirming that his administration will not allow cases of forgery and unrecognised institutions to thrive in Nigeria’s education ecosystem.