Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education, Owerri

The Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education, Owerri was established in April, 1963 as the Advanced Teachers Training College by the defunct Eastern Nigeria Government with technical assistance from UNESCO. It was charged with the responsibility of training teachers in line with the Ashby report on Higher Education in Nigeria. It awards the National Certificate in Education (NCE) and the Professional Diploma in Education (PDE) and, in affiliation, with the University of Nigeria, Nsukka the Bachelor of Education (B.ed) since 1984. In 1973, via Edict No. 11 promulgated by the Administrator of East-Central State of Nigeria, Ukpabi Asika, the Teachers College became a College of Education and was named Alvan Ikoku in honour of Mr. Alvan Ikoku, a teacher and educationist, founder of the first African owned secondary school in Nigeria (Aggrey Memorial Grammar School) and President of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) for many years.[1]The College started with 150 students but by 2012 the student population had grown to over 13,000, with over 600 academic staff. The students include regular undergraduates, sandwich course students, evening and weekend students and post-graduates studying the Professional Diploma in Education.The establishment of the Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education, Owerri in 1963, just three years after Nigeria’s independence was a milestone in the annals of education in Nigeria, especially the South-East. As an institution solely disposed to research, teaching and training teachers for both the intermediate and higher education sectors, the College has in the past fifty years contributed to the production of quality teachers in the country. In 1984, the College became affiliated with the University of Nigeria, Nsukka to award the bachelor's degree in various subject areas.