Former Senate President Anyim Pius Anyim has warned that neglecting teacher education could undermine Nigeria's human capital development, describing investment in teachers as a matter of national security.
Anyim spoke in Abuja at the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) Teacher Education Leadership and Impact Award ceremony, where he called for improved funding, modern facilities and professional development for colleges of education.
He said the quality of education depended largely on teachers and the institutions responsible for preparing them, warning that weaknesses in teacher training could have consequences for generations.
“Educational policies are written in the office, but they succeed or fail in the classroom. Educational reform is only as strong as the teacher who must carry it to the child,” he said.
He compared teachers to critical infrastructure such as roads and power plants, arguing that neglecting their development would undermine the country's long-term progress.
“When we neglect them, the cost appears not in a single budget cycle, but in generations to come,” he added.
The former Senate president urged the government to provide colleges with modern learning facilities, sustainable funding and opportunities to equip teachers with skills required in the digital age.
He also called on the private sector to increase investment in education and urged the media to give greater attention to teachers and their contributions to national development.
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, also challenged provosts of colleges of education to demonstrate measurable improvements in teacher preparation and institutional performance under the dual-mandate policy.
Represented by the ministry's Director of Colleges of Education, Dr Cecilia Uba, the minister said the reform provided an opportunity to strengthen teacher training and expand academic and professional advancement.
“The effective implementation of the Dual Mandate presents a significant opportunity to reposition Colleges of Education, strengthen teacher preparation and expand pathways for academic and professional advancement,” Alausa said.
He stressed that its success required “strategic leadership, institutional accountability, collaboration and a shared commitment to excellence”.
The dual-mandate policy allows eligible colleges of education to offer both the Nigeria Certificate in Education and approved bachelor's degree programmes in education.
NCCE Executive Secretary, Dr Angela Ajala, urged provosts to improve institutional performance, promote research and embrace digital innovation to produce teachers capable of meeting changing classroom demands.
“Our Provosts are not merely administrators; you are builders of institutions, developers of human capacity and custodians of the future of our children,” she said.
Meanwhile, the President and Group Managing Director of Gosima Group, Dr Gideon Chidiebere Osi, announced plans to expand scholarship opportunities for deserving students in colleges of education through the company's charitable arm, the Gideon and Joy Life and Leadership Foundation.
Osi said the organisation would also support education through scholarships, mentorship and youth leadership development.
“For Gosima Group, supporting this initiative is not charity. It is responsibility. No enterprise can prosper for long in a nation that neglects education,” he said.
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