The Federal Government has inaugurated principal officers for the Federal University of Science and Technology, Epe, Lagos State, the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Federal Polytechnic, Abuja, and the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), as part of its push to strengthen leadership in tertiary and teacher education.
The ceremony was conducted by the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, at the Federal Ministry of Education in Abuja, where he said the appointments were based on competence, integrity and commitment to national service. According to the ministry, the move is part of broader reforms aimed at expanding access to higher education and improving governance in key institutions.
Alausa said the establishment of the two new institutions reflects a strategic response to national priorities such as food security, public health, climate change, renewable energy and technological innovation. He added that Epe and Abuja were selected for their human capital potential and strategic importance as future hubs for research, innovation and regional development.
The minister also used the occasion to stress the importance of teacher education, saying the quality of teachers ultimately shapes the quality of students and national development outcomes. He charged the new NCCE leadership to strengthen governance across colleges of education, uphold merit and improve academic standards in the teacher education system.
Among those inaugurated were Prof. Adeola Oshikoya as Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Science and Technology, Epe; Prof. Nosiru Onibon as pioneer Rector of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Federal Polytechnic, Abuja; and Dr. Angela Ajala as Executive Secretary of the NCCE.
Responding on behalf of the appointees, the new institutional heads pledged to build strong governance systems, lay sound academic foundations and align their institutions with national education priorities.
The inauguration comes as the Federal Government moves to scale up support for the two new tertiary institutions. Alausa also disclosed approval of N2 billion each as take-off grants for the Epe university and the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Federal Polytechnic to support their early operations.
The development underscores the administration’s attempt to position tertiary institutions as centres for innovation, skills development and homegrown research, while also tightening the focus on teacher training as a pillar of long-term national growth.
