The National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), in collaboration with the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), has held a five-day national workshop focused on strengthening the operations of Entrepreneurship Development Centres (EDCs) in Colleges of Education across Nigeria.
Facilitated by Dangolo Management and Financial Consult Ltd, the event was themed “New Entrepreneurship Pedagogy for Entrepreneurship Teacher Education in Colleges of Education” and took place at the NCCE Auditorium in Abuja. It sought to position teacher education as a driver of innovation, enterprise, and national productivity through the effective use of entrepreneurship centres.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, NCCE Executive Secretary, Professor Paulinus Chijioke Okwelle, described the initiative as a strategic effort to transform entrepreneurship centres into vibrant platforms for practical learning and innovation. He noted that national development depends on education that inspires creativity, self-reliance, and sustainable economic growth. While the establishment of EDCs is commendable, he stressed that their success lies in their effective utilisation for skill development and enterprise creation.
The workshop, which was also conducted in Kano and Asaba, provided a platform to evaluate the performance of EDCs, exchange best practices, build the capacity of centre coordinators, and create a sustainable roadmap for long-term impact. Okwelle urged provosts of Colleges of Education to take ownership of the initiative and provide the necessary leadership and support to embed entrepreneurship as a living culture within their institutions.
Delivering a goodwill message on behalf of the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arc. Sonny Echono, Dr Saadatu Farook Labaran underscored the need to tackle youth unemployment amid Nigeria’s import-dependent economy and limited industrial base. She said the establishment of entrepreneurship centres represents a commitment to promoting self-reliance, creativity, and sustainable development.
Labaran reaffirmed TETFund’s continued support for the initiative, adding that the nation’s future depends on equipping teachers and students with the skills to thrive in a dynamic global economy.
Also speaking at the event, the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Said Ahmad, commended NCCE’s leadership, stating that entrepreneurship centres must evolve into functional laboratories of creativity and enterprise in line with the federal government’s economic agenda.
The workshop represents a significant milestone in Nigeria’s broader effort to integrate entrepreneurship into teacher education and empower educators as key contributors to national economic transformation.
