Colleges Of Education Seek New Reforms Against Graduate Unemployment

Stakeholders in Nigeria’s colleges of education have advocated for the integration of skill acquisition and entrepreneurship into teacher education curricula to tackle graduate unemployment and reposition the sub-sector for national development.

The call formed the thrust of the discourse at the 2nd annual conference of the Committee of Provosts of Colleges of Education in Nigeria held in Abuja.

The  education leaders advocated reforms aimed at producing graduates who are professionally competent, self-reliant and innovative.

At the conference, the minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Said Ahmad, said the integration of academic training with practical skills and entrepreneurship had become imperative in response to the changing demands of Nigeria’s education sector and labour market.

She said repositioning Colleges of Education to combine teacher preparation with entrepreneurial and vocational competencies would improve graduate employability, foster innovation, and promote job creation.

The conference, themed “Revolutionising Nigeria’s Colleges of Education System: Integrating Dual Mandate Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship for Educational and Economic Transformation,” brought together provosts, policymakers, union leaders and education stakeholders from across the country.

Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), Dr Angela Ajala, described the reform agenda as timely, saying the move would transform Colleges of Education into dynamic institutions capable of producing innovative and self-reliant graduates.

Chairman of the Committee of Provosts, Dr Ali Adamu, said the conference theme was deliberately chosen to address the urgent need to align the Colleges of Education system with contemporary economic realities.

He said the sub-sector must evolve beyond conventional teacher training to become more responsive to national development needs.

“The conference provides a strategic platform for advancing reforms and equipping Colleges of Education to produce graduates who are not only professionally competent but also innovative and self-reliant,” he said.

Stakeholders at the event argued that strengthening entrepreneurship education within Colleges of Education could help reduce overdependence on white-collar jobs among graduates while broadening economic opportunities for young Nigerians.