Ahmadu Bello University

The National Certificate in Education (NCE) by correspondence course was established in 1976 as a unit within the division of Teacher Education. In 1981, it became a full division of the Institute of Education.

Its central aim is to upgrade II teachers in the primary schools to the NCE (primary education) level. Its mode of operation is correspondence in addition to an annual 10-week residential study. At present, it has over 4,000 students from mainly the Northern states of Nigeria. It uses two campuses – Zaria and Kano, for its contact sessions. The correspondence courses incorporate students assessment exercises and Teacher marked assignment (TMA) which are sent back to the headquarters for marking by course tutors.
Other programmes at A.B.U which employ distance teaching strategies include the Teacher-in Service Education Programme (TISEP) of the Teacher Education Department which was designed to upgrade under-qualified or unqualified primary school teachers to T.C II (now defunct) level particularly in Mathematics and Science. There is also the distance teaching department in the Centre for Adult Education and the distance Education Unit of Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services.