NUC Begins Resource Verification at FCE (Technical) Bichi for Dual Mandate Degree Programmes

The National Universities Commission (NUC) has commenced a resource verification exercise at the Federal College of Education (Technical), Bichi, to assess the institution’s readiness to operate degree programmes alongside its Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) courses under the Federal Government’s Dual Mandate Policy.

The leader of the NUC delegation and Director of Academic Programmes, Dr. Abubakar Muhammad Girei—who represented the Executive Secretary of the Commission—explained that the exercise aligns with the Federal Government’s directive to broaden access to higher education and strengthen teacher training institutions nationwide.

Dr. Girei noted that the verification aims to evaluate the College’s capacity to concurrently offer both NCE and degree programmes, commending the management for its level of preparedness.

He further pledged the Commission’s continued support to ensure the successful implementation of the dual mandate.

Receiving the delegation, the Provost of the College, Dr. Bashir Sabo, lauded the Federal Government for initiating the policy, describing it as a transformative step toward advancing teacher education in Nigeria.

He revealed that the College currently offers 16 degree programmes in affiliation with Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi, and the University of Jos, while seven additional programmes have been submitted for verification—bringing the total to 23.

Dr. Sabo assured the NUC of the institution’s full compliance with all regulatory standards and expressed optimism about the successful take-off of the new degree programmes under the dual mandate.

By Ladan Nasidi