The National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) has uncovered and shut down 22 illegal Colleges of Education operating across the country.
The commission disclosed this as part of its recent achievements, noting that the action followed a nationwide crackdown on unapproved institutions.
According to the NCCE, it also conducted personnel audits and financial monitoring across all 21 federal Colleges of Education in an effort to strengthen accountability and ensure compliance with regulatory standards.
The development comes weeks after President Bola Tinubu directed education regulatory agencies to intensify efforts against what he described as “certificate millers” undermining Nigeria’s academic integrity.
Speaking at the 14th convocation of the National Open University of Nigeria in Abuja, Tinubu — represented by the Director of University Education at the Federal Ministry of Education, Rakiya Ilyasu — tasked the National Universities Commission (NUC), the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), and the NCCE to weed out illegal higher institutions.
He stressed that the administration is committed to safeguarding the credibility of the education sector.
“At this juncture, it has become imperative to reiterate that this administration remains committed to strengthening the integration of all agencies involved in the administration of education to enhance efficiency and quality,” the President said.
Tinubu further noted that key institutions such as the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), the NUC, the NBTE, and the NCCE are working in alignment to improve education standards and prevent the proliferation of unrecognised institutions and cases of certificate forgery.
