PROFILE
Prof. Paulinus Chijioke Okwelle an astute Scholar, Teacher and Administrator before his appointment as the sixth substantive Executive Secretary of National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), Abuja by the Federal Government on 20th April, 2020 was a lecturer with Department of Industrial Technology Education, Rivers State University, Port-Harcourt, Rivers State. He was born on the 26 March, 1964 to the family of Okwelle in Ogbakiri-Ikwerre, Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State, Nigeria. Young Paulinus spent the greater part of his childhood in Woke's Compound, rumuoroOgbakiri, in a Christian Community. This explains why he is thoroughly grounded in the customs and traditions of his people, which he venerates in later years in some of his literary works. He completed his Primary and Secondary Education in Rivers State and his Higher Educational pursuit was ignited at Rivers State University of Science and Technology where he graduated with 2nd Class Upper Division in 1987, Master Degree in Education 1995 and Ph.D, in Technical Education, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Anambra State, 2011. He was certified as professional teacher by the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) in 2011. He served the country during his NYSC at Bakolori Dam, Sokoto - Rima Basin Development Authority, in the then Sokoto State, 1987 - 1988. Prof. Okwelle, has professionally impacted developmental knowledge at different capacities across the length and breadth of Nigeria in reputable institutions of learning and had to his credit over 100 Academic Journals and Articles published locally and internationally, some of which appeared in books chapters. He has also supervised many Masters and Ph.D theses and as well served as external examiner in a number of institutions. He is an active member of the several professional bodies. As a result of his track record of selfless service to his dear country, the President and Commander in Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari found him worthy and appointed him as the 6th substantive Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Colleges of Education on 16th April, 2021 and assumed office on 20th April, 2021.

Two years ago, precisely, 16th March, 2021 the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR graciously approved the appointment of Professor Paulinus Chijioke Okwelle, as the 6th substantive Executive Secretary to run the affairs of the National Commission for Colleges of Education, (NCCE) for a period of four years subject to renewal as enshrined in the constitution of the Federal republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended). He resumed office on the 20th of April, 2021 at exactly 10 am. to offer his wealth of experience to NCCE management. In celebrating this giant stride on the occasion of his two years in office, as part of its responsibility and commitment, the Media relations Unit of Information and Corporate Services Department, NCCE, deemed it fit to present milestones, highlights of Professor Okwelle landmark achievement for emphasis.

NCCE Executive Secretary and CEBAR Director, exchanging copies of an MoU signed

The administrative prowess of Professor Paulinus Chijioke Okwelle is one too many that cannot be overemphasized. Two years of this rare gems’ personality at the helm of affairs in NCCE recorded monumental turn-around and improved recognition of the programmes, policies and activities of the Commission as a whole and Teacher preparation institutions in general. As a sterling technocrat and academician per excellence, here’s a one-stop shop of the achievements of professor Paulinus Chijioke Okwelle administration at two. Being a stakeholder of teacher education and development, Professor Okwelle upon resumption of Office in 2021 engaged in series of consultation, negotiation and research as part of effort to address the root causes of dwindling enrolment into Colleges of Education in Nigeria despite the juicy and lofty policies (incentives) of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration for teacher education. This, Professor Okwelle tackled through organizing one of its kind National Summit on the Future of Nigeria Certificate in Education. The Summit was indeed adjudged by reputable stakeholders from within and outside the shores of Nigeria as a huge success, recommendations/communique developed at the end of the summit in which some have been looked into, others with implementation on-going and others being looked upon for action by the Federal ministry of Education in addition to the ministry’s pledge to support NCCE in improving teaching profession in Nigeria.

JAMB registrar with NCCE ES at a function

Key among the gains of the National Submit held, was Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) readiness to support enrolment into COEs, the result of this is already being felt in practical terms, as all the newly Six Federal Colleges of Education established in 2020 have fully commenced operation with appreciative number of students.

Worry over the proliferation of illegal Colleges of education and mushrooms study centers in the country, Professor Paulinus Okwelle deployed principal staff of the Commission to identify, name, and publish on National dailies as well as the Commissions’ official website (www.ncceonline.edu.ng). This singular act indeed stemmed the tide to the ugly menace.

Chairman Senate Committee on tertiary in a group photograph with NCCE ES and some management staff during a visit

A number of MoU/partnerships with International Organizations in respect to teacher development and training were signed and entered vis-a-vis UNESCO, British Council, CEBAR, Jolly Phonics, Cambridge Education, UNICEF and Huawei to mention but a few. Another area of concern that professor Paulinus Chijioke Okwelle prioritized upon resuming office was the issue of staff welfare, staff mutual working relationship and enabling working atmosphere (24/7 electricity, procurement of state-of-the-art medical equipment for NCCE Clinic & Renovation of NCCE carpark). He ensured that all liabilities were cleared for effective productivity, he prioritized staff training (workshop) and re-training. As a rider to general staff welfare, professor Okwelle with the support of his effective Management staff do not rest on his oars to ensure that Review of new Schemes and Condition of Service was achieved.

Former Minister of State Education, Nwajuiba with Prof. Okwelle during NCCE Summit

It is no longer business as usual under the leadership of Professor Paulinus Chijioke Okwelle for Colleges of Education not to properly undergo or totally boycott participation of the primary mandate and priority of the Commission of accrediting its courses in line with the Commission stipulated guidelines, Resource Inspection and production of revised NCE Minimum Standard among others At different fora, Professor Okwelle has consistently made a case for the recruitment of only NCE holders at the basic level of education in both public and private sector. The implication of this, directly or indirectly, increased enrolments into COEs. The current FOI MDAs performance ranking ranked NCCE 7th out of the 250 MDAs considered for 2022.

ES with Development Partners

Professor Okwelle with NBTE Executive Secretary, Bugaje at NCCE function

Accreditation of the following (37) NCE-awarding institutions between 2021 and 2022:

1. College of Education, Kura, Kano State
2. Ameer Shehu Idris College of Education, Zaria, Kaduna State
3. College of Education, Darazo, Bauchi State
4. Cross River State College of Education, Akampka
5. Colleges of Education, Hong, Adamawa State
6. Aminu Kano Colleges of Education, Kano State
7. Adeyemi Federal Colleges of Education, Ondo
8. Nana Aishat Colleges of Education, Ilorin
9. Moje Colleges of Education, Erin-Ile, Kwara State
10. Umar bn Ibrahim El-kanemi Colleges of Education, Bama
11. Ebonyi State Colleges of Education, Ikwo
12. Borno State Colleges of Education, Waka-Biu
13. Kashim Ibrahim Colleges of Education, Maiduguri
14. Uli College of Education, Uli, Anambra State
15. Yusuf Usman Bala Colleges of Education, Daura, Katsina State

16. Colleges of Education, Dutsen Tanshi, Bauchi State
17. College of Education and Legal Studies, Nguru, Yobe State
18. Federal College of Education, Umunze, Anambra State
19. Federal College of Education, Potiskum, Yobe State
20. Isaac Jasper Boro College of Education, Sagbama Bayelsa State
21. Adamu Augie College of Education, Argungu, Kebbi State
22. Nasarawa State College of Education, Akwanga, Nasarawa State
23. Kaduna Polytechnic, Kaduna State
24. Kogi State Colleges of Education, Ankpa, Kogi State
25. Kogi State Colleges of Education (T), Kabba, Kogi State
26. Nwafor Orizu College of Education, Nsugbe, Anambra State
27. Federal Colleges of Education, Katsina, Katsina State
28. Sarkin Yamma Colleges of Education, Tilden Fulani
29. Federal Colleges of Education, Omoku, River State

30. Federal Colleges of Education (T), Asaba, Delta State
31. AGZ Colleges of Education, Gombe State
32. Federal College of Education, Kontagora, Niger State
33. Federal College of Education, Okene, Kogi State
34. College of Education, Afaha-Nsit
35. Jigawa State College of Education, Gumel
36. Sunnah College of Education, Bauchi
37. JIBWIS College of Education, Gombe

Conducted Resource Inspection Visit for the Establishment of the following (25) New Colleges of Education:

1. Climax College of Education, Bauchi State
2. Sam Ale College of Education, Kwali, FCT
3. Emamor College of Education, Abua, Rivers State
4. Olekamba College of Education, Akure, Ondo State
5. Grand-Plus College of Education, Ilorin, Kwara State
6. Gombe State College of Education and Legal Studies, Nafada, Gombe State
7. Mus’ab BN Umar College of Education, Bajoga, Gombe State
8. IFE Colleges of Education, P.M.B. 40, Abejukolo, Omala L.G.A. Kogi State

9. Zaria Institute of Information Technology, behind Muslim Eid Praying Ground, Zaria, Kaduna State
10. College of Arabic and Islamic Education (JIBWIS), P. O. Box 302, Jos, Plateau State
11. St. Paul College of Education, Nnewi, Opposite Central Police Station, Umundi-Nnewi, Anambra State
12. Jornoto College of Education, Wannune, Tarka LGA, Benue State
13. Royal College of Education, Lagos/Abeokuta Express Way, Ogun State
14. Tijjani Ibrahim College of Education, No. C9 KawajI Yankaba, Nassarawa LGA, Kano State
15. Alfajr College of Education, Kabuga, Gwale LGA, Kano, Kano State
16. Elibest College of Education, Akure, Ilu-Abo-Akure, Akure Owo Express Way, Akure, Ondo State
17. His Grace College of Education, Ilorin, Kwara State
18. Omaga Ejigbo College of Education, Ajiolo-Ojaji, Dekina LGA, Kogi State
19. St. Frances Assisi College of Education, Wusasa - Zaria, Kaduna State

20. TCNN College of Education, Bukuru Jos, Plateau State
21. JIBWIS College of Education, Zuru, Kebbi State
22. Christian College of Education, Along Bauchi Road, Akko Local Government Area, Gombe State

23. JIBWIS College of Education, Gumau, Bauchi State
24. Ahlus-Sufah Colleges of Education, Kaduna, Kaduna State
25. Al-Ummah Colleges of Education, Iwo, Osun State

Facilitated the take-off of the following six (6) new Federal Colleges of Education established by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2020

1. Federal Colleges of Education, Gidan-Madi, Sokoto State
2. Federal Colleges of Education, Jama’are, Bauchi State
3. Federal Colleges of Education, Isu, Ebonyi State
4. Federal Colleges of Education, Odugbo, Benue State
5. Federal Colleges of Education, Iwo, Osun State
6. Federal Colleges of Education (T), Ekiadolor, Edo State

REMODELING OF NCCE SECRETARIAT

• Production of Volume 14 and 15 of NCCE Statistical
• Digest on Colleges of Education and other NCEawarding institutions;
• Conducted pilot test of Ranking of Colleges of Education in Nigeria;
• Publication of 2021 Annual Report of the Commission and the Colleges of Education & Draft of 2021 edition;

• Developed National Reading Framework (Collaboration with USAID) under the Early Grade Reading Project of the Commission;
• Participation in Federal Public Service Games (FEPSGA, 2021) held in Ilorin;
• The use of E-learning platform for Colleges Education activities during the COVID-19 Pandemic;
• Trained Master Trainers on Reggio-Emilia and Child-Centered approaches (South-West);
• Collaboration with UNICEF for the training of Teacher Educators in the implementation of ECCE curriculum;

• Rehabilitation and Renovation of the NCCE clinic;
• Monitoring of Procurement activities in North West Geo-Political Zone;
• Organized Stakeholders Meeting on Repositioning French Students’ Acculturation Programme in 2021;
• Development of the draft National Reading Framework (NRF) in collaboration with United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and NEIPlus in 2021;
• Training of master trainers in South-West colleges of education on Reggio-Emilia and Child-Centred approaches for improved implementation of the new ECCE curriculum as enshrined in 2020 NCE Minimum Standards in Ibadan, Oyo State in 2021;
• Held Virtual meeting University of Lincoln in 2021 at NCCE Model Early Grade Reading Resource Centre on Higher Educational Policy Reforms in Nigeria. The meeting was in furtherance of the activities of UNESCO Chair on Responsible foresight for Sustainable Development in University of Lincoln, United Kingdom;

• Participation in the Joint Review Mission on the Kano Literacy and Mathematics Accelerator (KaLMA) Pilot Project in collaboration with British Council held in Kano in 2021;
• Conducted Capacity Building for NCCE staff in collaboration with ITF;
• Collaborated with United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and trained 335 pre-service and in-service educators, in six (6) batches of workshops on Family Life and Emerging Health Issues (FLEHI)/Family Life HIV/AIDS Education (FLHE);

• Collaborated with the FME in a Three-Day Technical Retreat for Members of the Ministerial Strategic Plan (MSP), Task Teams, Desk/Liaison Officers of The Federal Ministry of Education, Headquarters and its parastatals on the Implementation of the MSP, Presidential Deliverables/Ministerial Mandates in October, 2021;
• Conducted Workshop on Validation of Early Childhood Education Investment Case in November 2021;
• Collaborated with NERDC in the Finalization and Validation Workshop of the Draft One-Year Pre-Primary Education Curriculum Held in November 2021;

• Partnership with NERDC in the National Reading Framework Review Workshop in 2021;
• Developed Open Education Resource (OER) App for the NCCE and Colleges of Education;
• Collaborated with UBEC in capacity building for 600 Teacher Educators on the use of ICT for teaching and learning (e-learning platform) in the six geopolitical zones.

Putting a New look at the Reception Area of the NCCE Secretariat

All thanks to Professor Okwelles’ transparency mantra to FOI compliance level. There is no gain saying the fact that COVID-19 lockdown exposed Nigeria’s vulnerability in E-learning as a result of this quagmire, Professor Okwelle mandated the training of its staff on easy digital access to the activities of NCCE, specifically, on the implementation of Open Education Resource (OER) in NCCE and Colleges of Education. Since Professor Okwelle took over as the C-n-C of NCCE, Crisis that may warrant to Industrial actions by College Unions has been properly managed, this has led to Uninterrupted academic calendar for the time under review. In a similar development, the Executive Secretary received commendation for a successful conduct of NCCE’s Unit election of the Association of Senior Civil servant of Nigeria (ASCSN) held on the 29th March, 2023 at the Commission premises, Abuja.

Under the watch of this astute administrator, NCCE was Awarded best organization in Human Resource Development by Industrial Trust Fund (ITF) for the Year 2021 and a merit Award of excellence for the uncommon contributions to Mass Literacy and Non-formal Education Delivery in Nigeria by a Non-governmental Association for Literacy Support Services (NOGALSS). To conclude, the Entire NCCE family direly wish our God given Executive Secretary a more fruitful achievements as he creatively develops more blueprint for development of Teacher preparation in Nigeria. We also pray for long life and prosperity in the rest of your tenure.

Long live Professor Paulinus Chijioke Okwelle!
Long live NCCE!!
Long live Federal Republic of Nigeria!!!