The Provost of the Federal College of Education, Kontagora, Professor Faruk Rashid Haruna has been awarded by the Kontagora Intellectual Discourse Committee (KIDC) for his immense contribution to the development and growth of the academia in the country, particularly in the Federal College of Education Kontagora, Niger State.

Presenting the award entitled The Grand Commander of Intellectual Discourse (GCID) of FCE Kontagora, 2020-2022 to the provost in his office was the delegation of the KIDC, led by its chairman, Dr Tokunbo M. Yekini and the secretary, Hajia Hauwau T. Yusuf on Thursday, 1 December, 2022.

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The provost, Federal College of Education, Kontagora, Professor Faruk Rashid has been honoured by the Kontagora Intellectual Discourse Committee.

The Kontagora Intellectual Discourse Committee (KIDC), led by the chairman, Dr. Yekini Tokunbo Mouhammed, and Hajia Hauwa'u Talatu Yusuf, Secretary, KIDC, gave these awards in recognition of the Provost's numerous efforts, and that of his management, in the encouragement of intellectual development and growth in the college.

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Officials from the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), Abuja, were in the College from 13th to 18th November, 2022 to conduct an accreditation exercise for twenty-four (24) NCE programmes. The team, which comprised three Directors and six officials from NCCE and twelve panelists, came from different institutions of higher learning across Nigeria, including universities, and converged at the college for the exercise.

During the opening ceremony, the team leader, Mrs. Olusola Bode Oke, appreciated the Provost, Prof. Faruk Rashid Haruna, for the reception accorded the Panelists and assured the Management that the team would do her best to discharge her duties as prescribed in the guidelines set by the commission. She noted that the exercise was not meant to witch-hunt any institution but rather to ensure that quality was maintained in all institutions of higher learning.

Earlier, in his welcome remarks, the Provost, Professor Faruk Rashid Haruna, stated that Education without accreditation was like a house without a roof. He stated that an accreditation was meant to find out the strengths and weaknesses of an institution and to advise the institution on how to improve on such weaknesses. He added that the Management was doing her best in the area of infrastructural development and provision of facilities to improve on the standard of the College. He, however, lamented the depleted number of staff as a result of deaths and retirement without corresponding replacement and/or recruitment of new staff. He stated that the last time the College recruited staff was in 2015. He urged government to lift the band on employment to allow colleges employ new staff. He wished the Panelist a successful exercise.

In his address at the opening ceremony, the Director, Academic Programmes, Dr. Umar Adamu Kwami, stated that he was highly delighted to address the college management on the special occasion of the commencement of accreditation exercise of NCE Programmes in Federal College of Education, Kontagora.

He avered that the Accreditation of Teacher Education Programmes was a major mandate of the National Commission for Colleges Education (NCCE), in accordance with the act establishing it. In his words: "Central to this mandate is quality assurance and programme improvement. It is aimed at ensuring that Colleges of Education graduate quality teachers of basic education. For this purpose, adequate facilities must, therefore, be available in the institution in line with the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) Minimum standard. Stakeholders ought to know outrightly that accreditation by NCCE is for partnership and growth, not for witch hunting. It is aimed at building not at destroying the system. It is, therefore, a very strict, firm and fair process.

A team of experienced, skilled and highly knowledgeable professionals have been put together from the Commission and academia to carry out this exercise. I would like to assure you that meticulous work would be done to avail the Commission with the true picture of the situation in your College. At the end of the exercise, we shall reconvene to brief the Provost and his Management team on our observation. However, it is only the NCCE Management that can give the verdict of the visitation which will come later. The exercise is divided into two sections, namely, institutional and programme accreditation.

The institutional accreditation comprises two key areas of leadership, Management and organisation and students' support and progressions, while programmes accreditation comprises three compulsory key areas which are: curriculum, Organisation and implementation, infrastructure and learning, resources and assessment and evaluation. For an institution and its programmes to attain full accreditation, it must achieve at least a minimum standard of satisfactory overall in the key areas. For an institution and the programmes to earn Interim accreditation, it must achieve at least a minimum standard of unsatisfactory overall in the key areas. However, if an institution and its programmes earn denied accreditation, it means it attains failure in all the key areas.

Sequel to the above, full accreditation status allows the Institution to continue to run the programme(s) for the next five years. However, deficiencies highlighted in the report must be rectified. Course(s) that earned interim accreditation can continue to run but the deficiencies highlighted in the report must be addressed within nine(9) months, from the date of release of the result, after which the programme must be reaccredited at the expencies of the College. For course(s) that earned denied accreditation, the following measures will be taken immediately:

1) there will be no further admissions of students into the course(s) i.e the programmes will be phased out. 2) Students that have registered for such course(s) will be transfered to a nearby college of education where such programme(s) have full accreditation. 3) Failure to comply with 1 and 2 above, the commission will not endorse the certificate for such students on graduation. 4) For such course(s) to be reintroduced, the college must formally apply to the NCCE and bear the full cost of the resource inspection.

At this point, let me emphasise that any NCE awarding Institution running teacher education programmes that have not been accepted by NCCE, or continues with expired or failed accreditation status -- is operating illegally and in contravention of the act establishing it.

The Provost, Principal officers of the College, Deans, Chief lecturers, HODs, Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to solicit your maximum cooperation to facilitate the execution of this exercise. Kindly provide any information required. I want to remind you that we are here to build the teacher education programmes together. Let me quickly appreciate the Provost and his Management team for the warm reception so far accorded us. We look forward to a successful exercise.

Once again, kindly accept the assurance of the highest regards of the executive secretary and members of NCCE. On this note, on behalf of the executive secretary, I wish to declare the accreditation exercise open".

After five days of intensive work, the Panelists once again converged at the Council Chamber for Exit Briefing. They were impressed with the facilities in the College and commended the Provost for the giant stride in the construction and renovation work going on in the College. Further more, the Panelists expressed satisfaction with the record keeping in the College as well as diligence to work by staff which was attested by students.

Although there were weakness observed by the Panelists which they called on the Management to rectify. In general the exercise was successful

It was an epoch making event as the Federal College of Education, Kontagora, matriculates newly admitted NCE 1 students for the 2021/2022 academic session.

The ceremony, which took place on 28th October, 2022 at the Col. Sani Bello Hall (Rtd), was attended by the members of the College Management, Heads of Departments, Directors of units, the Parents/Guardians of the matriculated students. Another notable august personality at the ceremony was the Director, Planning, Research and Statistics of the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), Abuja, Mallam Garba .M. Koko, who represented the Executive Secretary of the commission, Prof. Paulinus Chijioke Okwele.

In his speech at the ceremony, the Provost, Prof. Faruk Rashid Haruna, who was represented by the Deputy Provost Dr. Said Yahaya Ubandoma, advised the students to face their studies seriously and shun all forms of anti-social behaviour such as cultism, examination malpractice, hooliganism, prostitution and insubordination to constituted authorities.

The Provost assured the students of the Management's commitment to ensuring that an environment conducive to learning was provided, to enable the students achieve their potentials. He wished the students successful stay in the College.

While delivering a goodwill message on behalf of the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), Mallam Garba .M. Koko congratulated the students and assured them of the Commission's passion for teacher education in general and, in particular, commitment to support Colleges of Education to groom quality teachers. He charged the students to be law-abiding and focused in their studies.

High point of the ceremony was the oath administration to the newly admitted students by the Chief Magistrate of Kontagora Magistrate Court, Barrister Benjamin Zakari.

Five hundred and two(502) students were matriculated at the ceremony.

The Directorate of Information and Protocol wishes the new students success in their academic pursuits.

In preparation for and desire to achieve a hitch-free Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) accreditation exercise scheduled to hold from 13th-18th November, 2022, the college management organised a Mock Accreditation exercise to ensure that the college achieve hundred percent (100%) success. The Mock accreditation took place from 24th - 28th October, 2022 in all the seven schools and twenty-nine departments of the college.

The Mock Accreditation was conducted by the Directorate of Quality Assurance and was overseen by the Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), Abuja, Mallam Garba .M. Koko, a member of the Federal College of Education Kontagora Governing Council representing the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE).

During the one week training, the facilitator guided staff on the basic instruments used by accreditation panelists. The Director also educated staff on the information and documents needed by the panelists for the assessment of a College of Education leadership and management.

At the exit briefing, the Director observed some lapses, which he drew the attention of the college management to and required that they should be ameliorated. However, he applauded the staff of the college for demonstrating strong commitment to the success of the accreditation.

This is to inform the general public that the 2021/2022 Aacademic Session Admission process is still on for enrolment in to all NCE courses for this year's intake into our Full-Time NCE Programme.

Accordingly, intending students are required to complete and print the online application form by using the procedure below.

Signed: Management