BRIEF HISTORY OF OUR COLLEGE
There was dire need to educate and produce technical teachers in Nigeria after the termination, in September 1967, of the Special Fund Project of the International Labour Organization (ILO) for the training of Vocational Instructors. This need was earlier highlighted in the Gailers’ Report of August, 1964 titled ‘A National Plan for the Development of Technical Education in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.’
The report emphasized that the establishment of a Technical Teacher Education Institution was sine-qua-non for Effective Manpower Development of Technology in Nigeria. Thus, the Federal Government established the National Teachers College (NTTC) as the first Technical Teacher Education Institution in the Country. In 1982 the College name was changed from NTTC to Federal College of Education (Technical) FCE (T).
At inception, the College enjoyed the assistance of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) were appointed as the executing agency on behalf of UNDP, while the Federal Ministry of Education was the cooperating agency on behalf of the Federal Government. Consequently, the College was under the aegis of the Federal Ministry of Education, while assistance through UNESCO was in the form of tools, Machinery and Technical experts. The UNDP terminated its assistance and involvement in August 1974 retaining a skeleton staff of two (UNESCO) experts in Craft Techniques and Electrical Engineering who remained till July, 1976, to complete the installation of some laboratory equipment supplied to the College.
When the College was founded in 1967, it was conceived as an institution to offer a one year teacher training course for candidate possessing recognized technical and commercial qualification with appropriate work experience, who wish to become subject teachers in technical, vocational and commercial academic areas.
The NCE (Technical Education) and NCE (Business Education) programme were established in 1968 and 1970 respectively, to train secondary school leavers to become teachers of technical/ commercial subjects.
The College moved to permanent site, along St. Finbarr’s College Road, Akoka in September 1975, after eight years of temporary sojourn at the campuses of Yaba College of Technology and Yaba Trade Centre respectively. It now occupies a Land area of Seven Hectares in the neighborhood of several Educational Institution (Primary, Secondary and Tertiary) for which Akoka is well known.
The physical facilities on ground include an Administrative Block, a Classroom Block together with a three storey classroom complex and a lecture theatre. There are workshop facilities for Electrical/Electronic Technology, Auto- Mechanics, Woodworks, Metalwork, Fine and applied Arts, Computer, Home Economic, Agricultural Science, Building Construction and Business Education, there is also a Centre for Educational Technology (CET) with facilities for close circuit television. Apart from five halls of residence erected at inception of the College, there is hostel complex for students for the Technical Teachers Diploma (TTD) in Nursing, as well as students for the professional diploma in Education (PDE).
THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE COLLEGE
The Philosophy of the Federal College of Education (Technical), Akoka as reflected on the Logo of the College is knowledge, skill, service. The implication of this is that Education in the College is together and at once functional, qualitative and sensitive to national requirements. Thus, Students are trained to have a thorough master of both the theoretical and the practical aspects of their major teaching subjects.
Apart from laboratory and workshop practices, students are exposed to weeks of industrial work experience in real industrial settings. Furthermore, the College has always supported curriculum reviews to produce the types of technical teachers that may be needed for the economy from time to time.
FCE (T) AS AN INSTITUTION OF HIGHER LEARNING
Federal College of Education (Technical), Akoka is a renowned institution for training Students to become self-reliant and employers of labour.
Under the present administration, there is massive and aggressive infrastructural development in the College. This has afforded the College to affiliate with the University of Benin that has all the courses the College is running which would enable any interested NCE graduate in the College to obtain degree in their respective courses upon completion of the NCE programme.
The Ultra-Modern Multi-purpose Hall serves both internal and external publics of the College. It is a source of internally generated revenue (IGR) for the College. The College has African Development Bank (ADB) Building to take care of Technical and Vocational Education Departments. Now the College also has two built by TETFund; four storey buildings that serve as lecture rooms, world-class e-library and well equipped laboratories.
Moreover, the College has a water factory where potable water is produced under a very hygienic condition; solar powered football pitch which is the first in Africa and second in the world. There is solar energy to complement public power supply in the College. The road network in the College has all been tarred. A Bridge has also been constructed across the canal to enhance expansion.
The College has a standard staff school and secondary school.
Aluta market was a slum, but now the place has been transformed and decency has been brought to the market.
In its efforts to bring education closer to the people at the grassroots, the College runs part-time courses at various centers. However, all examinations take place at the main campus.
At the automobile technology education department, there is high-tech equipment for diagnosing modern vehicles; such as vehicle system analyzer, computerized wheel alignment, automatic tyre changer machine etc.
In the school of vocation, the agricultural science education teaches students on crop production such as vegetable and arable production. Livestock production which involve production of poultry, broilers, ruminants’ animals.
The College medical centre is newly upgraded to a modern medical centre. It is equipped with a diagnostic centre (X-Ray centre) and a modern laboratory.
The centre runs a-24 hour service, emergency medical service and attends to all members of staff.
The College clinic was accredited by NHIS as a primary health provider and fully staffed with qualified nurses and laboratories technologists.
The Building Technology department of School of Technical Education. The venture has an ultra modern block laying machine which produces 3 blocks at a time, a vibrated molding machine and a concrete brick machine.
The venture produces blocks on commercial purpose to members of the public. It also serves as a place where students can learn practical skill.