The main gate into the Federal College of Education, Abeokuta. Inset: (Above) Prof. Paulinus Chijioke Okwelle, the Executive Secretary of the National Commission For Colleges Of Education (NCCE) and (below) Dr. Rafiu A. Soyele, the Provost of the college.
The Federal College of Education, Abeokuta has been named the Early Grade Reading Resource Center for the entire Southwest Zone of Nigeria.
According to Prof. Paulinus Chijioke Okwelle, the Executive Secretary of the National Commission For Colleges Of Education (NCCE), the regulatory agency for colleges of education in the country, this new elevated status was accorded the college from among several of its peers.
Speaking during the recent 25th Combined Convocation Ceremony of the college held on its campus at Osiele, Abeokuta, Prof. Okwelle explained that as an Early Grade Reading Resource Center, the college would henceforth “provide the resource needs in respect of early childhood care education for the Southwest zone of the country”.
He noted that the resource center which was completed and commissioned by him shortly before the commencement of the Convocation Ceremony of the college is an attestation to the strategic position of FCE, Abeokuta in the comity of colleges of education in the country.
The Executive Secretary of the NCCE described FCE, Abeokuta as a great citadel of academic excellence in teacher education in Nigeria adding that the college “equally holds the ace record of pioneering tertiary education in the Gateway State”.
He pointed out that the college has exceedingly met the philosophy behind its establishment which is to produce professionally trained teachers who are globally competitive and who will be able to stand the test of time in their areas of specialization and be responsive to societal needs in the delivery and pursuit of educational excellence.
Prof. Okwelle commended FCE, Abeokuta on the successful report of the last accreditation exercise carried out by the team from the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) on the NCE courses being run by the college.
He pointed out that the report is “an eloquent testimonial to the quality of the human and nonhuman resources which abound at the Federal College of Education, Abeokuta”.
Prof. Okwelle said the report is also an affirmation to the progressive leadership responsiveness and maintenance culture in the college.
“It is equally gratifying for me to recall that members of the accreditation team to the college expressed their satisfaction with the state and quality of facilities in the college”, he added.
In giving credit to the college for consistently producing a remarkable number of quality NCE holders who are engaged in different spheres of nation’s educational industry and occupying notable elite positions across and beyond the country, Prof. Okwelle also acknowledged the tenacity of purpose and diligence of its Provost, Dr. Rafiu Adekola Soyele, the management team and staff for sustaining the college’s culture of excellence.
Prof. Okwelle congratulated the graduands and enjoined them to keep hope alive and “not to forget that this is a stepping stone to higher and greater opportunities for actualising your goals in life”.
Speaking also at the 25th Combined Convocation Ceremony, the Provost of FCE, Abeokuta, Dr. Soyele noted that the college remained an outstanding institution as it has always moved with the trend emanating from series of restructuring over the years.
He implored the graduands to remember values such as integrity, excellence and service to humanity instilled in them during their time in the college as they embark on their respective journeys in life.
Dr. Soyele said the college was graduating a total students of 6,444 spread across four sets of 2018/2019, 2019/2020, 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 from all its five schools and trained through the college’s full time, part time and sandwich programmes.
