DUAL MANDATE OF COLLEGES OF EDUCATION IN NIGERIA: BENEFITS, CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS FOR EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION

Abstract

The Dual Mandate of Colleges of Education in Nigeria represents an important development in teacher education, particularly through the provision for eligible Colleges of Education to offer both the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) and approved Bachelor's degree programmes in Education. The reform is expected to expand access to higher education, improve the quality of teacher preparation, provide academic progression for NCE holders and strengthen the institutional capacity of Colleges of Education. This paper reviews the major benefits and problems associated with the implementation of the Dual Mandate in Nigeria. The benefits identified include expansion of access to higher education, improvement of teacher quality, clearer academic progression, revitalisation of Colleges of Education, institutional autonomy, promotion of research and innovation, improved utilisation of institutional resources, employment generation, institutional competitiveness and increased supply of qualified teachers. Despite these benefits, implementation is constrained by inadequate funding and infrastructure, shortage of qualified academic staff, regulatory and accreditation challenges, increased workload, resistance to change, weak ICT infrastructure, inadequate research capacity, curriculum implementation difficulties, competition for students and poor stakeholder coordination. The paper concludes that the Dual Mandate has significant potential to transform teacher education in Nigeria, but its success depends on adequate financial investment, qualified personnel, infrastructure, effective regulation, ICT development and continuous institutional supervision. The paper recommends stronger government funding, staff development, improved infrastructure, effective NCCE–NUC collaboration, enhanced research support and systematic monitoring of implementation.