Teacher Shortage Fears Grow As Colleges Of Education Record 17% Admission Decline

…19 Colleges Lose 11,421 Admissions In 24 Months

…Gombe, Oyo, Katsina Record Steepest Drops In Admissions

…Stakeholders Warn Nigeria Could Face Teacher Scarcity In Six Years

Admissions into Federal Colleges of Education (FCEs) have declined by nearly 17 per cent over the past two years, raising fresh concerns about the future of teacher education in Nigeria.

An analysis by THE WHISTLER of data from the Federal Tertiary Institutions Governance Transparency Portal showed that admissions into 19 Federal Colleges of Education with publicly available records dropped from 67,254 in 2022 to 55,833 in 2024, representing a decline of 11,421 students.

The Federal Tertiary Institutions Governance Transparency Portal, established by the Federal Ministry of Education, tracks institutional funding, student enrolment, capital expenditure and other performance indicators across federal tertiary institutions.

The analysis focused exclusively on admission figures published on the portal. Of the 27 Federal Colleges of Education listed, only 19 had comparable admission data for both 2022 and 2024 and were therefore included in the assessment. Institutions without complete records for the period were excluded from the comparative analysis.

The data revealed that while a handful of colleges recorded growth in admissions, the majority experienced significant declines in student intake.

Among the hardest-hit institutions was the Federal College of Education (Technical), Gombe, where admissions fell from 10,115 in 2022 to 6,618 in 2024. The Federal College of Education, Oyo, also recorded a sharp decline, with admissions dropping from 7,376 to 5,128, while the Federal College of Education, Katsina, saw enrolment fall from 7,567 to 5,203.

Other colleges that recorded notable declines included the Federal College of Education, Potiskum, Yobe State, where admissions dropped from 3,520 to 1,787, and the Federal College of Education (Technical), Gusau, Zamfara State, which saw admissions fall from 2,878 to 1,853.

The downward trend also affected several other institutions. Federal College of Education, Iwo, Osun State, recorded a decline from 824 admissions in 2022 to 592 in 2024. Federal College of Education (Technical), Isu, Ebonyi State, dropped from 116 to just 38 admissions, while Federal College of Education (Technical), Umunze, Anambra State, declined from 666 to 416.

Similarly, admissions at the Federal College of Education (Technical), Akoka, Lagos State, fell from 3,509 to 2,746, while the Federal College of Education, Ekiadolor, Edo State, recorded a slight decline from 320 to 290.

Despite the overall downward trend, a few institutions posted improved admission figures during the review period.

The Federal College of Education (Technical), Bichi, Kano State, increased admissions from 7,136 in 2022 to 8,546 in 2024. Federal College of Education, Okene, Kogi State, also recorded growth, with admissions rising from 1,642 to 2,073, while the Federal College of Education, Gidan-Madi, Sokoto State, increased its intake from 290 to 481.

The analysis also highlighted wide disparities in student enrolment across the colleges.

In 2024, the Federal College of Education, Yola, Adamawa State, recorded the highest admissions among the institutions reviewed with 8,747 students. It was followed by the Federal College of Education (Technical), Bichi with 8,546 admissions, Federal College of Education (Technical), Gombe with 6,618, Federal College of Education, Katsina with 5,203, Federal College of Education, Oyo with 5,128, and the Federal College of Education, Eha-Amufu, Enugu State, with 5,043.

At the other end of the scale, the Federal College of Education (Technical), Isu, Ebonyi State, recorded the lowest admission figure with only 38 students in 2024.

The review further showed that several Federal Colleges of Education listed on the transparency portal had budget allocations but did not publish admission figures for some or all of the years under review.

These institutions include the Federal College of Education, Gwoza, Borno State; Federal College of Education, Ididep, Ibiono, Akwa Ibom State; Federal College of Education, Ofeme-Ohuhu, Abia State; Federal College of Education (Technical), Keana, Nasarawa State; Federal College of Education, Abeokuta, Ogun State; Federal College of Education, Jama’are, Bauchi State; and the Federal College of Education (Technical), Omoku, Rivers State.

The portal did not provide any explanation for the missing data, and no conclusions were drawn regarding their absence from the analysis.

The declining admission trend comes amid growing concerns over the future supply of qualified teachers in Nigeria.

Speaking recently during a courtesy visit by members of the Education Correspondents Association of Nigeria (ECAN) in Abuja, the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), Dr Angela Ajala, warned that Nigeria could face a severe shortage of teachers within the next six years if enrolment into teacher-training institutions is not urgently increased.

“In some colleges, you find only about 30 students spread across 10 programmes. The attrition rate is alarming. If we do not act now, Nigeria may not have enough teachers in the near future,” Ajala said.

She described teacher education as the bedrock of national development, stressing that every profession depends on competent teachers.

“If you get it wrong with a teacher, just know that Nigeria is finished. Every engineer, doctor, scientist, entrepreneur, politician and leader passes through the hands of a teacher. Teacher education lies at the heart of national development,” she added.

Ajala disclosed that the Commission had begun implementing reforms aimed at making Colleges of Education more attractive to prospective students.

According to her, one of the key reforms is the introduction of a dual mandate, which will enable colleges to award both the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) and bachelor’s degrees, while also equipping graduates with internationally recognised skills certifications.

The Federal Government has also introduced policy measures to boost enrolment into teacher education institutions.

Earlier this year, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, announced the removal of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) requirement for admission into NCE programmes in Colleges of Education nationwide, as well as National Diploma programmes in non-technology agriculture and agriculture-related courses.

The policy, announced after a stakeholders’ meeting convened by the minister, is intended to strengthen teacher education, expand the country’s agricultural workforce and reduce the number of out-of-school adolescents.

Under the arrangement, prospective candidates are still required to obtain Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) application forms and process their admissions through the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS), while existing minimum admission requirements remain in force.

Although the data analysed by THE WHISTLER does not explain the reasons behind the declining admissions across many Colleges of Education, education stakeholders have consistently argued that stronger incentives, improved funding, enhanced facilities and sustained public awareness campaigns are needed to restore interest in teacher education and ensure Nigeria produces enough qualified teachers to meet future demand.