The Federal Executive Council (FEC) presided by President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday approved conversion of five tertiary institutions to universities status.
The Minister of Education, Ibrahim Shekarau, who briefed State House correspondents at the end of the meeting, said the approval included upgrading of four old Federal Colleges of Education to new Universities of Education.
According to him, Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo State now to be known as Adeyemi University of Education, Ondo, Federal College of Education, Zaria changed to Federal University of Education, Zaria, Federal College of Education, Kano now to be called Federal University of Education, Kano, while Alvan Ikoku College of Education, Owerri is now approved as Alvan Ikoku University of Education, Owerri.
Shekarau, who was accompanied by the Minister of Information, Patricia Akwashiki, said: “These colleges are part of the 21 Federal Colleges of Education that have been awarding degrees of B.Ed, B. A and B. Sc. in different fields for the last three decades and Council considered the need for further quality in the teaching service.”
“Currently, the minimum teaching qualification has been National Certification on Education ( NCE), but gradually as a result of improvement in the system and the demand for further qualitative teaching service, we are heading towards getting more graduates into the teaching profession and the earlier this is done the better and we are getting these universities to produce more graduates.”
“Besides, they have been running degree programmes for the last three decades under closer supervision of the affiliated universities, and they are so mature enough now to have their own autonomy to award degrees of B.Ed. B. A (Ed) and B. Sc. Education.”
He said the fifth institution is the Medical Health Sciences College in Otukpo now changed to the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo.
He said: “A brand new University of Health Sciences has also been approved, called the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo in Benue State. Before then, this institution has been Medical Health Sciences College under the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi.”
“It has been granted autonomy of its own now as part of the continuous efforts to ensure quality graduates into the various fields of the medicine and the sciences.”

Before then, this institution has been Medical Health Sciences College under the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi