‘238 is inadequate’ — Tajudeen Abass backs bill to create 10 more colleges of education

Abbas Tajudeen, the speaker of the house of representatives, says Nigeria’s current number of colleges of education is inadequate to meet the country’s growing educational needs.

Abbas, during a public hearing in Abuja on Tuesday, backed a bill to create 10 more federal colleges of education in the country.

The federal database shows Nigeria has a total of 238 accredited federal, state, and private colleges of education.

Abbas said this is insufficient for Nigeria’s population of around 230 million people, with over 60 per cent under the age of 24.

The speaker described the bills seeking to create 10 more colleges as “relevant, appropriate, and justified”.

He said human capital is the key driver of development and that expanding teacher education is necessary to sustain Nigeria’s education system.

“The demand for education makes the number of existing colleges of education in Nigeria quite insignificant,” he said.

“The establishment of new federal colleges of education will not only improve the training of professional teachers but also foster educational development, create employment opportunities, and stimulate socio-economic growth in the host communities.”

Adamu Tanko, the chairman of the house committee on colleges of education, said education remains the foundation of national development and that expanding teacher training institutions was essential to building a skilled workforce.

Julius Ihonvbere, the house leader and one of the sponsors of the bills, lamented the shortage of qualified teachers in the country, saying more institutions were needed to address the problem.

Another lawmaker, Anamero Dekeri, called for a stronger focus on technical education.

He said his proposed Federal College of Education (Technical) in Edo state would harness the region’s potential.