Bill To Upgrade Eha-Amufu College to University Scales Through 2nd Reading

The process of upgrading the Eha-Amufu College of Education to Federal University of Education is gathering momentum following the passage of the second reading of the Bill seeking its elevation, in the House of Representatives.

The Bill sponsored by Professor Paul Sunday Nnamchi, the member representing Enugu East/Isi Uzo Federal Constituency of Enugu State in the House of Representatives is seeking to amend the Federal College Education Act and upgrade it to university of education.

In his lead debate, Professor Nnamchi observed that education remains the cornerstone of national development and that the demand for higher qualifications have grown exponentially in recent years.

The National Certificate of Education (NCE), though vital in its time, has gradually lost its appeal as students and employers increasingly favour degree qualifications.

“This shift has resulted in dwindling student enrollments at Eha-Amufu Federal College of Education thereby undermining the institution’s relevance and capacity to fulfill its mandate of training competent educators for our schools, “he stated.

He pointed out that several colleges of education established at the same timeframes with Eha-Amufu College, like the Alvan Ikoku College of Education in Owerri, Imo State and Adeyemi College of Education in Ondo State have since transformed into full-fledged universities of education.

Professor Nnamchi further emphasised that such transformation has not only revitalised those institutions but had also boosted local economies and enhanced the employability of their graduates.

According to him, “upgrading Eha-Amufu College of Education to a Federal University of Education will have multiple benefits like more students intakes, addressing the manpower shortage in education sector by producing more qualified educators and create more job opportunities for our teeming youths.”

The lawmaker urged his colleagues to prioritise the upgrade of the Federal College of Education, Eha-Amufu to a Federal University of Education as it would not only empower the youths with better job opportunities but also strengthen the nation’s educational sector and contribute to the nation’s overall development.

Lateefah Ibrahim