The Federal Government of Nigeria has approved the establishment of seven (7) new tertiary institutions in the country.
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This was announced via a statement signed by Obilor-Duru Augustina Okechi, the Assistant Director, Press and Public Relations, for the Minister of Education.
According to the statement sighted by Investogist, President Bola Tinubu approved a staggered establishment of three Colleges of Education, two Universities of Education converted from colleges of Education and two Federal Universities.
The approved institutions for which the establishment process would commence immediately are:
(a) The Federal Universities are:
- Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences, Kwale, Delta State
- Federal University of Agriculture, Mubi Adamawa State
(b) Colleges of Education converted to Federal Universities of Education
- Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo, Ondo State
- Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education, Owerri, Imo State
(c) The Colleges of Education are:
- Federal College of Education, Ilawe Ekiti, Ekiti State
- Federal College of Education Ididep, Ibiono, Akwa Ibom State
- Federal College of Education (Technical), Yauri, Kebbi State
Both Colleges of Education being converted to Federal Universities were established in 1963, 3 years after the country got its independence.
Adeyemi College of Education
Adeyemi College of Education was named after Canon M. C. Adeyemi (one of the earliest educationists in Ondo town) in recognition of his immense contribution to educational development in Ondo province.
It was established in 1963 to produce qualified teachers to teach in secondary schools and teachers’ training colleges and to conduct research and experiments on methods of teaching at all levels of education in Nigeria.
It formally commenced operations on 22nd May 1964 with 93 students comprising of 24 women and 69 men and has metamorphosed into a first class College of Education in Nigeria and in the West Africa sub-region.
Presently, it has five schools – Arts and Social Sciences, Education, Languages, Sciences and Vocational and Technical Education – with a total of 28 academic departments.
Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education
The Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education, Owerri is located in Owerri, the capital of Imo State, Nigeria. The College was founded in 1963 as the Advanced Teachers Training College with technical assistance from UNESCO, by the defunct Eastern Nigeria Government on the grounds of the Old Shell Camp, Owerri. It has since expanded across the Orlu Road on the Nworie River.
It was charged with the responsibility of training teachers in line with the Ashby report on Higher Education in Nigeria.
In 1973, via Edict No. 11 promulgated by the Administrator of East-Central State of Nigeria, Ukpabi Asika, the Teachers College became a College of Education and was named Alvan Ikoku College of Education (A.I.C.E.), in honour of Mr. Alvan Ikoku, a teacher and educationist, founder of the first African owned secondary school in Nigeria (Aggrey Memorial Grammar School) and President of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) for many years.
Alvan Ikoku College of Education, Owerri, started with 150 students and by 2012 the student population had grown to over 13,000, with over 600 academic staff. The students include regular undergraduates, sandwich course students, evening and weekend students and post-graduates studying the Professional Diploma in Education (PDE).
It awards the National Certificate in Education (NCE) and the Professional Diploma in Education (PDE) and, in affiliation, with the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, the Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) since 1984.
In 1976, a campus of the College catering to the Department of Agriculture was established in Umuahia, now the capital of Abia State. Next was the establishment of an Orlu campus in 1981, but the multi-campus system was ended in 1987 and the College reverted to a single campus institution.
In 2007, the Federal Government took over the College and it metamorphosed into Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education (A.I.F.C.E.), Owerri. The Federal Government take-over brought improved financial aid and the College has been able to renovate old structures, build large classrooms, laboratories and hostels and expanded the staff strength. It also enabled the College to start new departments and Schools and establish new ventures.
On May 20, 2015, the Federal Government of Nigeria under President Goodluck Jonathan upgraded the school to a full-fledged university to be called Alvan Ikoku University of Education.
However, a few months later, the Muhammadu Buhari administration put the upgrade “on hold.”
Nnamdi Maduakor is a Writer, Investor and Entrepreneur
