The federal government has approved the concurrent implementation of the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) and degree programmes in Federal Colleges of Education (FGCs).

The approval, however, stipulates that only qualified colleges should be permitted to commence degree programmes.

The directive was contained in a letter from the Federal Ministry of Education to the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), dated June 5, 2024, and seen by Daily Trust. The letter, signed by Dr U. C. Uba, Director of Colleges of Education, noted that the approval follows recommendations from the technical committee on the implementation framework.

According to the letter, The implementation will begin in the 2024/2025 academic session. The federal government also stated that newly established colleges of education should run the NCE programme successfully for up to 10 years before introducing degree programmes.

This period, it said, is to allow for the establishment and development of curriculum, accreditation schedules, sufficient academic programmes, staff capacity building, and gaining adequate experience for an effective transition to degree programmes.

The letter emphasised the need for a strong synergy between the National Universities Commission (NUC) and NCCE in developing the curriculum, ensuring that NCE content seamlessly integrates into degree courses without repetition.