By Godwin Agia, Jalingo
The Academic Don, Professor of Mathematics Education at the Taraba State University, John Tyavbee Ajai, has cautioned the Federal Government against reforms that could weaken the integrity of university degrees in Nigeria through the expansion of degree-awarding roles to Colleges of Education.
In an open letter addressed to the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa on Sunday, Ajai said the debate around the proposed Continuous Five-Year NCE Degree structure highlights deeper questions about the future of Nigeria’s tertiary education system, arguing that policy changes must preserve institutional coherence and academic credibility.
He noted that Nigeria’s higher education system was historically built on clear differentiation where Universities handled advanced scholarship and research, polytechnics focused on technical training, while Colleges of Education concentrated on pedagogical preparation through the Nigeria Certificate in Education framework.
“Over time, however, those distinctions have steadily weakened,” Ajai wrote. He pointed out that polytechnics now seek conversion into universities, while Colleges of Education run degree programs through affiliation arrangements with universities, blurring institutional mandates.
Ajai stressed that a university degree derives its legitimacy from more than classroom instruction, stressed that it reflects participation in a scholarly ecosystem marked by research culture, postgraduate engagement, peer review, and professorial leadership.
“What is less common in mature higher education systems is the long-term dependence on affiliation arrangements in which non-university institutions administer university degree programmes without full institutional integration.
“The deeper challenge confronting teacher education in Nigeria is the need to strengthen the attractiveness and professional standing of teaching itself,” he said.
He warned that parallel pathways producing identical degrees under unequal academic cultures could weaken public trust.
Don added that accreditation processes often emphasize procedural compliance over deeper indicators of academic culture such as research vitality, scholarly engagement, and postgraduate activity. This, he said, creates a gap between certificate equivalence and academic equivalence.
He urged the government to strengthen Colleges of Education as centers of pedagogical excellence rather than expand degree pathways without corresponding investment in research capacity, staffing, and governance.
Ajai recommended a comprehensive review of Nigeria’s tertiary education philosophy to restore clearer roles for universities, polytechnics, and Colleges of Education.
He also called for stricter joint quality assurance frameworks between the NUC and NCCE for institutions running affiliation programs, are urged the ministry to initiate a national stakeholder dialogue to develop a coherent long-term framework for tertiary education reform.
“Educational systems are not strengthened merely by expanding access to credentials. They are strengthened through institutional coherence, quality assurance, scholarly credibility, and public trust,” he said.
