The Federal Executive Council on Wednesday gave its nod for the conversion of four Federal Colleges of Education and a medical science college to full fledged universities.
The Minister of Education, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents on the resolutions of the FEC after its Wednesday meeting presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan.
The concerned institutions, according to Shekarau, are: Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo and Alvan Ikoku College of Education, Owerri to be henceforth known as Adeyemi University of Education and Alvan Ikoku University of Education respectively.
Others are Federal College of Education, Zaria and Federal College of Education, Kano, which will now assume the status of universities.
Also upgraded by FEC is the Medical College of the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, which is located in Otukpo, Benue State.
The Minister of Education said the Medical College had been converted to the Federal University of Health Sciences.
Shekarau said all the four Colleges of Education had been awarding B.Ed degrees in various fields for the past three decades.
According to the minister, the upgrade is informed by the need to improve the quality of teaching in the country.
Shekarau said: “The Council approved the conversion of four old federal colleges of education to new Universities of Education.
“These colleges are Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo, now approved to be converted to Adeyemi University of Education, Ondo; Federal College of Education, Zaria is now Federal University of Education, Zaria; Federal College of Education, Kano is now Federal University of Education, Kano and Alvan Ikoku College of Education, Owerri is now approved as a university to be known as Alvan Ikoku University of Education, Owerri.
“These colleges are part of the 21 federal colleges of education that have been awarding degrees of B.Ed, B. A and B. Sc. in different fields for the last three decades and Council considered the need for further quality in the teaching service.
“We have come a long way. The main teaching qualification in the 1960s from Grade III to Grade II up to Grade I teachers and currently the minimum teaching qualification has been National Certification of Education, but gradually as a result of improvement in the system and the demand for further qualitative teaching service, we are heading towards getting more graduates into the teaching profession and the earlier this is done the better and we are getting these universities to produce more of graduates.
“Besides, they have been running degree programmes for the last three decades under close supervision of the affiliated universities, and they are so mature enough now to have their own autonomy to award degrees of B.Ed. B. A ( Ed) and B. Sc. Education.
“Then secondly, a brand new University of Health Sciences has also been approved, called the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo in Benue State.
“Before then, this institution has been Medical Health Sciences College under the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi. It has been granted an autonomy of its own now as part of the continuous efforts to ensure quality graduates into the various fields of medicine and the sciences.
“So Council has granted approval for the establishment of Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo.”
Also briefing, the Minister of Information, Patricia Akwashiki, said Wednesday’s FEC meeting focused on preparation for the transition of power to the incoming administration of Major General Muhammadu Buhari on May 29.
Akwashiki explained: “There will be tour of facilities of the Villa, thereafter there will be a small handing over ceremony in the Council chamber, where the President will hand over of documents collected by the MDAs and government agencies to the incoming administration. It will be followed up with the inaugural dinner in the evening of the 28 May.”
The last FEC meeting under President Jonathan’s administration will hold next Wednesday.
There, Jonathan is expected to bid farewell to his cabinet members in a valedictory session.