NCCE moves to address falling enrolment in colleges with entrepreneurship education

The National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) has launched a fresh initiative to strengthen entrepreneurship education in colleges of education across Nigeria as part of efforts to reverse declining enrolment and restore the relevance of teacher-training institutions. Speaking at a national workshop on the effective use of entrepreneurship centres in Abuja on Tuesday, Executive […]

The National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) has launched a fresh initiative to strengthen entrepreneurship education in colleges of education across Nigeria as part of efforts to reverse declining enrolment and restore the relevance of teacher-training institutions.

Speaking at a national workshop on the effective use of entrepreneurship centres in Abuja on Tuesday, Executive Secretary of NCCE, Angela Ajala, said colleges must move beyond certificate acquisition to practical skills, innovation and self-reliance.

She said the initiative is aimed at repositioning colleges of education as centres for job creation and enterprise development rather than institutions focused solely on producing classroom teachers.

“Education must transcend the mere transmission of knowledge to become a driver of innovation, self-reliance and sustainable economic growth,” she said.

 

Ajala noted that entrepreneurship centres already exist in many colleges, but stressed that the challenge is ensuring they function effectively as hubs for skill acquisition and innovation.

 

She said the workshop will assess the condition of entrepreneurship centres nationwide, strengthen institutional capacity, promote best practices and develop sustainable models aligned with national economic priorities.

 

NCCE consultant on entrepreneurship and innovation, Audu Dangana, said the workshop was organised to accommodate 33 colleges that missed the first phase of the programme in 2025.

 

He disclosed that about 396 participants from the affected institutions were being trained to ensure uniform standards in entrepreneurship education across colleges.

 

Dangana linked the reforms to concerns over falling enrolment, expressing optimism that the dual mandate allowing colleges to award both the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) and degree qualifications would attract more students.

 

Director of Planning, Research and Statistics at NCCE, Garba Muhammad Koko, urged administrators to fully utilise entrepreneurship centres and align them with national development goals.

 

The workshop, supported by Tertiary Education Trust Fund, is the final phase of a nationwide programme targeting all colleges of education.