Historical Background

BRIEF HISTORY OF FEDERAL COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, ABEOKUTA

The Federal College of Education, Abeokuta was established in 1976 as the Federal Advanced Teachers College, in addition to the three other similar Colleges previously in existence at Okene, Pankshin and Yola. It is the first Tertiary Institution in Ogun State. The College started at the then Abeokuta Grammar School, Isale-Igbein right at the centre of Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State. Abeokuta, the location of the College, is historic Yoruba town founded by the Egbas in 1830.

The town’s geographical location makes it easily accessible. The nation’s seaport and industrial centre, Lagos, is 104 kilometers to the North. The College provides three-year full-time and five-year sandwich courses respectively leading to the award of the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE). The foundation day of the College is 27^th January, 1977; the day the first set of eighty-six (86) students were registered after about four months of preparatory activities and assembling staff and equipment on site. In 1982, the then President-in-Council approved the autonomy of the College along with others under the name ‘Federal College of Education’. The legal instrument for this autonomy was effected through Decree 4 (now Act) of 14^th March, 1986 of the then Military administration and the Federal Colleges of Education (Amendment) Decree 6 of 1^st January, 1993.

Following the need to enact a uniform Federal Colleges of Education Act to regulate the Federal Colleges of Education in Nigeria through a uniform legal framework with modern provisions that are up-to-date with current educational realities, the aforementioned Acts were subsequently repealed and replaced by the Federal Colleges of Education Act No. 43 of 12^th June, 2023; which.

The College moved to its permanent site in 1983 and presently occupies a land area of 632.95 hectares along the Abeokuta-Ibadan Road at Osiele, which the Federal College vested to it vide Gazette No. 4164 of 25^th August, 1977.

Alhaji Gani Akanbi Belo was the founding Principal of the College (then known as the Federal Advanced Teachers College, Abeokuta) from inception in 1976 till 1982. In deference to the new autonomous status of the institution as the Federal College of Education, Abeokuta, Alhaji Gani A. Belo along with the Management continued to run the affairs of the College without a Governing Council until 1991 shortly before his tenure ended. He was equally given the ‘Presidential Appointment’ as the ‘Provost’ of the Institution at the autonomy of the College. Suffice to note that Alhaji Belo successfully steered the ship of the College for fifteen years (January 1976 – 1991). Culled from Belo (2020).

This was followed by a brief interregnum during which the then Deputy Provost, Mr. Olusola Olawale Abatan held fort as the Acting College Provost before the assumption of office of Professor Emmanuel Olukayode Ayodeji Ajayi as the second Provost of the College from 8^th October, 1991 to 31^st October, 1999. Professor Ajayi advanced the frontiers of the College and remarkably entrenched the academic culture among the College staff.

Dr. John Olumide Akinmoyewa was appointed as the third Provost of the College from 1^st November, 1999 to 31^st October, 2003 and he further consolidated the gains of his predecessors. Dr. Emmanuel Olufemi Adeniyi who was his Deputy Provost thereafter held the fort as Acting College Provost during the period of transition, that is, from 1^st November, 2003 to 19^th January, 2004. He successfully handed over the mantle of leadership to Dr. Emmanuel Olakunle Filani, who assumed office as the fourth Provost of the College on 20^th January, 2004 and completed his second and final term of office as the College Provost on 19^th January, 2012. 

Dr. Filani formally handed over to his Deputy Provost, Dr. Ayodele Adetayo Ajayi, who served as the Acting Provost of the College from 20^th January to 2^nd April, 2012. Dr. Ajayi officially assumed office as the fifth Substantive Provost of the College on 3^rd April, 2012 and ended his first term tenure on 2^nd April, 2016. In compliance with the directive of the Visitor to the College (the Honourable Minister of Education), he similarly handed over the mantle of leadership to his Deputy Provost, Dr. Bolatito Adijat Adeniji to oversee the affairs of the College from 3^rd April to 27^th December, 2016; before his (Dr. Ayodele A. Ajayi’s) re-appointment as the College Provost for a further term of four years, on 28^th December, 2016. Dr. Ajayi successfully completed this second term of office on 27^th December, 2020.

Dr. Rafiu Adekola Soyele (who was hitherto the Substantive Deputy Provost of the College) was appointed as the Acting College Provost with effect from 24^th December, 2020, following the approval of the then Honourable Minister of Education (Mallam Adamu Adamu) in the absence of the College Governing Council that was yet to be reconstituted. Dr. Soyele successfully held this position till his appointment was confirmed by the then President and Commander in Chief of the Nigeria Armed Forces, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR as the Sixth Substantive College Provost. By the appointment, Dr. Soyele becomes the first Alumnus of the College to be so appointed to the exalted position. The appointment was for an initial period of four (4) years in the first instance with effect from 14^th September, 2021.

On 12^th June, 2023 however, the President and Commander in Chief of the Nigeria Armed Forces, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, assented to the Federal Colleges of Education Act (2023). This new Act repealed the Federal Colleges of Education Act (2004) and enacted a uniform Act to regulate the Federal Colleges of Education in Nigeria through a uniform legal framework with modern provisions that are up-to-date with current educational realities.

The Federal Colleges of Education Act (2023), among others, provided the Colleges with the legal basis for the award of diplomas and degrees; and gave the Colleges the powers to expand the scope of the curriculum of the Colleges to degree awarding institutions.

The Acts equally provides for the Provost and other Principal Officers of the College (namely: the Registrar, Bursar and College Librarian) to hold office for a single term of five years only, beginning with the effective dates of their appointments. All Officers appointed before the commencement of this new Act for a period less than five years were subsequently deemed to be serving the five-year single term only. In tandem with the provisions of the new Act, the completion period of the Provost’s term of office was thus revised to 13^th September 2026.

* References:

Belo, G. A. (2020). Footprints in the Sand of Time: Reminiscences of an Educationist at 85. Lagos: Femag Press.

Federal Republic of Nigeria. (2023). Federal Colleges of Education Act, 2023. Lagos: The Federal Government Printer.

COLLEGE PHILOSOPHY

The philosophy of the College is to produce professionally trained teachers who will stand the test of time in their areas of specialization and be responsive to societal needs in the delivery and pursuit of educational excellence.

VISION

To make the College the Preferred Centre of Academic Excellence among Colleges of Education in Nigeria.

MISSION

To produce highly motivated and skilled teachers for primary and junior secondary schools and ultimately senior secondary schools in Nigeria through:

(1)  All round total quality teaching, research and community service

(2)  Standard practices and values

(3)  Deployment of e-Administration.

CORE VALUES

●    Good, cordial and mutually sustainable interpersonal relationship among the key stakeholders of the College, notably: staff, students, internal and external publics.

●    Robust quest for academic excellence and value in all round of education

●    Provision of stable and uninterrupted academic calendar

●    Judicious utilization of available resources for infrastructural and human capacity development

●    Cultivation of conducive academic environment that would engender corporate and goals attainment.

●    Zero tolerance for Staff and Students Indiscipline.

COLLEGE LOGO

The four dominant colours of the College logo are: Gold, Green, Red and Black.

●   The Red colour stands for scholarship; the hallmark of true academics and a charge on all academic staff of the College to be beacons of light and worthy ambassadors in the discharge of their duties.

●   The Gold colour stands for excellence as accentuated on the College motto.

●   The Black colour represents the College authentic and uniquely African identity.

●   The Green colour depicts the rich and robust ambience of the College in nurturing quality, fertile minds and professional graduates that would advance the frontiers of teacher education in Nigeria.

* The College Logo was designed by Mr. Ajayi Ayoade of the School of General Education in 1996.

THE COLLEGE MACE

The College Mace is an ornamental wooden staff coated in gold and black colours with the four edges adorned with the logo of the College. The design of this institutional symbol of strength, dignity and authority was carefully crafted by Dr. Adewale Kehinde Badaru (a Chief Lecturer from the Fine and Applied Arts Department and a former Dean of Student Affairs department of the College).

The College Mace is normally carried by the designated official (often referred to as the Mace Bearer) ahead of the procession at academic ceremonies, such as the College Convocation Ceremony.

COLLEGE ANTHEM

THE GOVERNING COUNCIL

The Governing Council is the superintending authority of the College responsible for all decisions on policies that have financial implications, the general management of the affairs of the College and in particular, the control of the property and expenditure of the College.

Since inception, the College has had seven Governing Councils as presented:

·       The sixth Governing Council was inaugurated on 30^th May, 2017 and had Alhaji Saidu Isa (OFR) as its Chairman. Alhaji Isa however chaired the Council for a brief period before his demise. Alhaji Ali Gaji Grema, a Presidential Appointee on the sixth Council was thereafter appointed as Council Chairman in acting capacity. He held the position briefly, but also passed on to immortality after a brief illness on 5^th April, 2019.  Consequently, Mrs. Grace Fabode Balogun (another Presidential Appointee on the sixth Council) was appointed as the Acting Chairman of the Council on 14^th June, 2019. She successfully chaired the Sixth Council till the end of its tenure on 15^th July, 2020.

COMPOSITION OF THE GOVERNING COUNCILS

The composition of the College Governing Councils from 2010 to 2020 is as highlighted:

A.    FIRST GOVERNING COUNCIL (18^th July, 1990 – 1^st August, 1993)

*   Some minor changes were effected in the composition of the First Governing Council before its tenure ended in August, 1993. Prof. Emmanuel Olukayode Ayodeji Ajayi succeeded Alhaji Gani Akanbi Belo on the Council following his appointment as the second substantive Provost of the College on 8^th October, 1991. Similarly, Mrs. Omolola Temilade Aiyegbayo replaced Chief Solomon Oluwole Majekodunmi on the Council following her appointment as the third substantive Registrar of the College.

B.    SECOND GOVERNING COUNCIL (31^st October 2000 – 12^th March, 2003)

*    Some minor changes were effected in the composition of the Second Governing Council before its tenure ended in March2003. Chief Kola Sorinola was replaced by Hon. John Obafemi in July 2002. The FME changed its representative on the Council from Dr. S. A. B. Atolagbe to Mrs. N. O. Onuorah in July 2002; while the NCCE changed its representative on the Council from Dr. M.A. G. Akale to Dr. Moses Olatunji Ojo in June 2003. Similarly, upon the appointment of Dr. Emmanuel Olufemi Adeniyi as the Deputy Provost of the College in December, 2002; Mr. Samuel Adebimpe Adesina was elected as the new representative of the Academic Board on the Council.

C.    THIRD GOVERNING COUNCIL (1^st August, 2005 – 22^nd October, 2007)

*   The NCCE changed its representative on the Council from Mr. S. B. Gbadamosi to Engr. Jacob Kwaghepher before the Third Council ended its tenure on 22^nd October, 2007.

FOURTH GOVERNING COUNCIL (10^th February, 2009 – 19^th October, 2011)

*    Mr. J.O Obawusi was appointed as the Acting College Registrar of the College from 2009 to 2010 and served as the Secretary to the Governing Council at the onset of the 4^th Governing Council, before the appointment of the substantive College Registrar (Mr. R.A Akinola) on 3^rd March, 2010.

*   Princess (Mrs.) N. V. Atuanya was the first Representative of the Federal Ministry of Education on the Fourth Governing Council. She was however replaced after the first meeting of the Council, by Dr. Ezinma Ezinne Uzuegbunam, who was also later replaced by Mrs. L. G. Ilyasu at the twilight of the Council’s dissolution.

D.    FIFTH GOVERNING COUNCIL (23^rd April, 2013 – 23^rd July, 2015)

*   Some minor changes were effected in the composition of the Fifth Council before its tenure ended in July, 2015. The FME changed its representative on the Council from Mr. Ezekiel Funso Asubiojo to Mrs. F. N. Chukwuemeka-Ezi and later to Mr. J. A. Mbaakaa; while the NCCE changed its representative on the Council from Dr. Sam Ugwuoti to Arc. Ameh Anthony Onaji.

E.     SIXTH GOVERNING COUNCIL (30^th May, 2017 – 15^th July, 2020)

*    Some minor changes were effected in the composition of the Sixth Council before its tenure ended in July, 2020. The FME changed its representative on the Council from Mr. Frank Omale to Mr. Maikafi Livinus Aje; while the NCCE changed its representative on the Council from Arc. Ameh Anthony Onaji to Mrs. Bola Sherifat Shittu. Similarly, upon the retirement of Mrs. Sarah Adewunmi James from the College service, Mr. Isaac Ademola Awe was elected as the new representative of the Academic Board on the Council.

F.    SEVENTH GOVERNING COUNCIL (20^th April, 2021 – 20^th June, 2023)

*    Some minor changes were effected in the composition of the Seventh Council before its tenure ended in June, 2023. The FME changed its representative on the Council from Mr. Maikafi Livinus Aje to Alhaji Ibrahim Ibrahim Aliyu; while the NCCE changed its representative on the Council from Mr. Arinze Emmanuel Ukeje to Mr. Solomon Duke Akpan.

THE COLLEGE MANAGEMENT

The College has a management team comprising the following Principal Officers: Provost, Deputy Provost, Registrar, Bursar and College Librarian. The Management, which is headed by the Provost is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the College.

ACADEMIC BOARD

The College has an Academic Board comprising: the Provost as Chairman, Deputy Provost, College Librarian, Registrar as the Secretary, Deans of Schools, Academic Directors; Heads of Academic Departments and Units; all Chief Lecturers; and two  Representatives of the Academic Staff Congregation. The formulation of academic policies including the organization and control of all academic activities of the College is the responsibility of the Academic Board.

The following are the specific functions of the Academic Board as contained in the Act establishing the College:

i.            The direction and management of academic matters of the College including the regulation of admission of students, the award of certificates, scholarships, prizes and other academic distinctions.

ii.           Making periodic reports on such academic matters to the Government Council as the Council may from time to time direct.

iii.         Discharging any other functions which the Council may from time to time delegate to it.

CAPACITY BULIDING

The College places high premium on human capital development as this is crucial to sustainable development. Hence, there has been a steady and significant rise in the number of Ph.D holders among the Academic and Non Teaching staff.

The College Management enjoys a very cordial relationship with both the Staff and Students Unions and this has great impacted on the rapid and remarkable growth of the academic frontiers of the College and the peaceful co-existence among the College Staff and Students.

SCHOOL BOARD

Each school is governed by a Board, which broadly controls the academic programme of the School, subject to Academic Board approval. Statutorily, the Provost and the Deputy Provost are members of each School’s Board. The Chairman of the School is the Dean of the School who is elected for a specific period of time from among the Chief Lecturers in the School while the School Officer serves as the Secretary. All the teaching staff of the school are members of the School Board. Presently, the academic structure of the College is divided into seven (7) schools namely:

(i)   School of Early childhood, Primary and Adult Education;

(ii)   School of Education;

(iii) School of General Studies in Education;

(iv) School of Secondary Education (Arts and Social Sciences);

(v) School of Secondary Education (Languages);

(vi) School of Secondary Education (Science);

(vii) School of Secondary Education (Vocational and Technical Education).

There are also thirty-three (33) academic departments in the College.

ABIOLA LAKE

Before the movement of the College to its permanent site in 1983, the Management carried out a study of the topography of the area and discovered a valley with a stream that almost dried up during the dry season but had plenty of water during rainy season. This small stream, which flows towards Abeokuta-Ibadan road from the Students Hostel, was later dammed and resulted  in an artificial lake of about 100-metres in width, 300-metres in length and over 4-metres deep at the monk where it was the deepest. The lake serves multipurpose needs, namely: (a) fish farm (b) swimming and boating (c) irrigation and (d) aesthetics. It provides additional source of water for students’ laundries and other utilities.

The lake changed the aesthetic landscape of the College. At a stage in its development, the late Business Mogul, Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola (GCFR) was approached for assistance and he generously donated two hundred and fifty thousand Naira (N250,000.00) to the College. As a result of the lake, the College can boast of the only Boat Club in any Federal College of Education in Nigeria. Two large canoes with out-board engines were purchased. For group competitions, there are four kayaks. The Agricultural Education Department cultivates all season planting of vegetables at the lower part of the lake, using the water from the lake for irrigation. The lake also provides facilities for aquatic ecological studies. Since the lake had been charged, a new ecosystem has emerged with great increase in the population of birds, which add more to the beauty of the campus. Picnickers also make use of the green lawns around the lake during festival periods and on weekends. 

The College successfully installed the Water Treatment Plant near the lake in 2018 to provide potable water sourced from the lake. In addition, the College constructed the 140,000 litres Water Tank and 20,000 litres water tank with stand to boost the supply of water to the College community. With the installation of the plant by the College, the value of the Lake as a source of drinking water for staff and students has become more vital.

* Culled from the College Bulletin, Federal College of Education, Abeokuta (November 1985) and Belo (2020).

THE COLLEGE REGISTRY

The Registry department of the then Federal Advanced Teachers College, Abeokuta became operational on 27th January 1977; the day the first set of eighty-six (86) students were registered after about four months of preparatory activities and assembling of staff and equipment on site. The foregoing gave practical effect to the Government plan and provisions in the 1976/77 estimates for the establishment of an Advanced Teachers College at Abeokuta among others provided for, at other places during the year. At inception, Mr. F.O Ibezim, an Assistant Executive Officer in the Federal Civil Service was seconded from the then Federal Ministry of Education, Lagos to serve as the College Secretary and provide basic administrative backup for the Principal of the new College, Alhaji Gani Belo. In addition to the appointment, the office of the College Secretary also had five other administrative support staff (culled from the 1978 Handbook of Federal Advanced Teachers College, Abeokuta). The Management at this nascent stage of the institution equally piloted an experimental administrative model that made use of the available academic staff to also man the administrative positions in the College.

The foundation for the evolution of the current College Registry in line with the provisions of the Acts that established the College was laid at this juncture. A definitive and robust foundational structure for the new Registry was put in place in 1991 by the First Governing Council of the College under the distinguished leadership of Pa. J.A.F Sokoya, with the appointment of two experienced Deputy Registrars (Mrs. O.T Aiyegbayo and Mrs. A.A Ajani) to complement the Registrar of the College (Chief S.O. Majekodunmi) in providing the desired quality administrative leadership and the recruitment of a sizeable pool of young and vibrant professional administrators. Chief Majekodunmi held sway as the College Registrar till 1992, when he proceeded on retirement having reached the mandatory retirement age in service.

Mrs. O.T Aiyegbayo subsequently assumed full mantle of leadership as the substantive College Registrar in 1993, after successfully occupying the position in brief acting capacity following the exit of Chief S.O Majekodunmi from the College service. She was in office till 1999 when she also retired from the service of the College. Mrs. A.A Ajani was subsequently appointed as the fourth substantive Registrar of the College in year 2002, having successfully occupied the position in acting capacity following the exit of Mrs. O.T Aiyegbayo from the College service. Mrs. A.A Ajani held sway as the substantive College Registrar till 2009 when she retired from the College service. To forestall the vacuum that may be created by the foregoing retirement, Mr. J.O Obawusi was appointed by the Third Governing Council of the College as the Acting Registrar in 2009 pending the appointment of the next substantive College Registrar. Mr. Obawusi successfully held fort as the Acting College Registrar till 2010; when he formally handed the reins of leadership of the Registry to Mr. R.A Akinola, sequel to the appointment of the latter as the fifth substantive Registrar of the College. Mr. Akinola, an alumnus of the College as the Chief Administrative Officer. Mr. R.A Akinola held sway as the College Registrar till 2^nd March, 2020 when he handed over the mantle of leadership to Dr. Gabriel Adedayo Adebayo as the Sixth Substantive Registrar of the College.

The Registry department of the College has no doubt evolved through different phases of development and institutional administration; notable among which is its successful transition from the analogue period to the digital era through the magnanimity of the College Management. This transitional period of growth enabled the Registry to successfully harness and mentor a pool of knowledge workers who are valued for their ability to act and communicate with knowledge within specific subject areas and who would positively advance the frontiers of institutional administration in Nigeria in the nearest future.

The core vision of the Registry is to make the Federal College of Education, Abeokuta the preferred Centre of Academic and Administrative Excellence among Colleges of Education in Nigeria; while the mission is to advance the frontiers of institutional administration and secretarial services through: effective collaboration; use of certified corporate professionals; standard practices and values and; deployment of e-administration.

CURRENT AND PREVIOUS REGISTRARS WITH DATE