Daji Sani in Yola
The Federal College of Education, Yola, weekend held its 16th mixed convocation ceremony for the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 educational periods, with 3,555 graduands awarded the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE), as stakeholders renewed calls for the 52-year-old establishment to be upgraded to a University of Education.
The ceremony, which comes two years after the final convocation in November 2024, was attended by Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri; Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa; Chairman of the Governing Council, Mr. Saheed O. Johnson; the Lamido of Adamawa, Dr. Muhammadu Barkindo Aliyu Mustapha; Provost, Dr. Mohammed Usman Degereji and different dignitaries.
Stakeholders on the occasion mentioned the school, which has clocked 52 years since its institution as FATC in 1974 and at the moment runs diploma programmes in affiliation with universities, has earned the standing for improve.
They appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to, as a matter of urgency, improve the school to a full-fledged University of Education to meet the rising demand for instructor training within the North-east.
In his welcome handle, Johnson described the convocation as a major milestone within the historical past of the establishment.
He famous that regardless of daunting challenges going through teacher-producing establishments in Nigeria, FCE Yola has sustained high quality supply, well timed launch of outcomes and consistency in its educational calendar.
Johnson recommended the Federal Government beneath President Tinubu for far-reaching training reforms, significantly the National Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) and the twin mandate coverage for Colleges of Education.
He mentioned with out the assist of the Federal Ministry of Education, TETFund and the National Commission for Colleges of Education, the school couldn’t have recorded progress in infrastructure, employment, promotions, new programmes and accreditations.
Charging the graduands, the council chairman congratulated them and urged them to stay worthy ambassadors of the school.
He mentioned they shouldn’t be distracted by financial disaster, infrastructure deficit, local weather change and job deficits, however ought to deploy the arrogance and instruments acquired to confront poverty, deprivation, starvation and intolerance.
The Provost, Dr. Degereji, introduced that the graduands comprise 1,818 for 2024 and 1,737 for 2025, discovered worthy in character and studying, with many incomes categorized prizes.
He mentioned the ceremony is the second since he assumed workplace in 2022 and described the output as an excellent addition to the educating career in Adamawa, the North-east and Nigeria.
Reviewing his four-year stewardship, Degereji mentioned the school has been repositioned for higher productiveness since 2022.
He listed the achievements to embody institution of a Students’ Digital Hub for certificates and transcripts, improved ICT services, renovation of 70 per cent of the hostels, reintroduction of common-room and cafeteria companies, and building and renovation of lecture theatres, laboratories and places of work.
He added that administration launched annual workers dialogue and productiveness awards since 2023, reinvigorated capability constructing, entrenched fiscal self-discipline, established an entrepreneurship abilities and profession service centre, and diminished native debt from over N100 million inherited in 2022 to lower than N1 million in 2026.
He thanked the Federal Government, TETFund, NEDC and the Adamawa State Government for their interventions.
Governor Fintiri, in his handle, reaffirmed his administration’s dedication to revitalizing training by pro-people insurance policies, elevated funding and institutional strengthening.
He mentioned his authorities has improved entry by funding in faculties, strengthened scholarship programmes, instructor coaching and ICT programmes, with precedence allocation to training within the 2026 finances.
The governor disclosed that his administration is setting up Model Science Secondary Schools in every zone and has applied the Teacher Recruitment, Deployment and Retention Policy to align with Twenty first-century objectives.
He lauded the school’s historical past of producing over 40,000 lecturers in 50 years, assured the viewers of continued assist for federal tertiary establishments, including that his authorities stays dedicated to UNESCO’s 26 per cent finances goal regardless of insurgency challenges.
On his half, the Minister of Education recommended the Governing Council, administration and workers for sustaining the mandate, describing robust establishments as merchandise of efficient management.
He highlighted NELFUND, the twin mandate that now permits FCE Yola to award levels, and disclosed that the school emerged finest amongst Colleges of Education in considered utilisation of the 2022-2023 Needs Assessment intervention.
The minister, whereas acknowledging the stakeholders’ demand, maintained that there isn’t any want for a University of Education as the twin mandate already empowers the school to award levels and do extra sooner or later.
He listed different reforms together with TVET throughout 25 commerce areas, the Tertiary Institution Staff Support Fund providing zero-interest loans up to N10 million by the Bank of Industry (BoI), and the Student Venture Grant, urging the school to construct partnerships with the non-public sector and growth companions to complement authorities funding.
The ceremony ended with congratulations to graduands and their mother and father, with audio system urging them to show their price by constructive societal influence, whereas the Council Chairman thanked the Adamawa State Government, the Lamido of Adamawa, neighbouring states, communities and fogeys for their assist and wished company secure journey.
