Daji Sani in Yola
The Federal College of Education, Yola, weekend held its 16th mixed convocation ceremony for the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 tutorial classes, 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 stated 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 schooling within the North-east.
In his welcome deal with, Johnson described the convocation as a big milestone within the historical past of the establishment.
He famous that regardless of daunting challenges dealing with teacher-producing establishments in Nigeria, FCE Yola has sustained high quality supply, well timed launch of outcomes and consistency in its tutorial calendar.
Johnson recommended the Federal Government below President Tinubu for far-reaching schooling reforms, notably the National Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) and the twin mandate coverage for Colleges of Education.
He stated with out the help 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 stated 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 categorised prizes.
He stated the ceremony is the second since he assumed workplace in 2022 and described the output as a terrific addition to the instructing occupation in Adamawa, the North-east and Nigeria.
Reviewing his four-year stewardship, Degereji stated the school has been repositioned for higher productiveness since 2022.
He listed the achievements to embrace institution of a Students’ Digital Hub for certificates and transcripts, improved ICT amenities, renovation of 70 per cent of the hostels, reintroduction of common-room and cafeteria providers, and development and renovation of lecture theatres, laboratories and workplaces.
He added that administration launched annual employees dialogue and productiveness awards since 2023, reinvigorated capability constructing, entrenched fiscal self-discipline, established an entrepreneurship abilities and profession service centre, and lowered 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 deal with, reaffirmed his administration’s dedication to revitalizing schooling via pro-people insurance policies, elevated funding and institutional strengthening.
He stated his authorities has improved entry via funding in faculties, strengthened scholarship programmes, instructor coaching and ICT programmes, with precedence allocation to schooling 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 targets.
He lauded the school’s historical past of producing over 40,000 lecturers in 50 years, assured the viewers of continued help 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 employees 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 even handed utilisation of the 2022-2023 Needs Assessment intervention.
The minister, whereas acknowledging the stakeholders’ demand, maintained that there isn’t a 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 via the Bank of Industry (BoI), and the Student Venture Grant, urging the school to construct partnerships with the non-public sector and improvement companions to complement authorities funding.
The ceremony ended with congratulations to graduands and their dad and mom, with audio system urging them to show their value via optimistic societal impression, whereas the Council Chairman thanked the Adamawa State Government, the Lamido of Adamawa, neighbouring states, communities and fogeys for their help and wished company protected journey.
