Dr. Mrs. Angela Ajala, PhD, MCIoD, FNAE, is a distinguished education strategist, institution builder, and policy advocate with over three decades of leadership experience across Nigeria’s education, entrepreneurship, and women’s empowerment sectors. On 10th March 2026, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, appointed her as the 7th substantive Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), Abuja. She assumed office on 17th March 2026, becoming the first woman to hold this distinguished position in the Commission’s history.

Born on 18th April 1962, Dr. Ajala hails from Delta State, Nigeria. Her academic journey led her to Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, where she distinguished herself at every level—obtaining a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in English, Second Class Upper Division (1986), a Postgraduate Diploma in Education with Distinction (1990), and a Master of Arts in English (1999), graduating as the Best Student with the highest-rated thesis in her cohort. She holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Entrepreneurship and Innovation from Selinus University, Europe, and additional advanced certifications in Strategy, Leadership, Quality Assurance, and Entrepreneurial Management from Stellenbosch Business School, the Singapore Leadership Institute, and CABE UK, among others.

Dr. Ajala’s career spans academia, private enterprise, and public service. She served for eleven years as a Lecturer and Examination Supervisor at Kaduna Polytechnic (1993–2004), before transitioning into institutional leadership. She founded and led Teacher Connect, a digital platform for teacher recruitment and professional development, and served as Executive Director of Ladela Schools for nearly two decades, driving policy, finance, and institutional growth across one of Nigeria’s well-regarded private education establishments. Her national policy contributions are equally distinguished. She served on the Governing Board of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), chairing its Programmes and Evaluation Committee and contributing to national TVET strategies and curriculum design. She is a Member of the Nigeria Education Data Initiative (NEDI) Implementation Team, a collaborator on NCCE/UNICEF Early Childhood Care and Education Teacher Training Manuals, and a contributor to National Curriculum Development Workshops spanning TVET, ECCE, and vocational institutions. She also served as a Member of the Presidential High-Level Advisory Council on Support to Women and Girls.

A prolific author, Dr. Ajala has published three books — The School Guide, The Journey Begins, and Reference Manual ChatGPT: The Ultimate Education Leaders’ Guide — the last reflecting her pioneering engagement with artificial intelligence in education leadership. Her contributions have earned recognition nationally and internationally, including the Leadership in Education Award at the Cambridge International Education Conference (2026), Education Person of the Year by EduTimes Africa (2025), and the Outstanding African Women's Achievers GOLD Award from Vision Africa, Ghana.

She is a Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Education (FNAE), a Member of the Chartered Institute of Directors (MCIoD), a Fellow of the Institute of Corporate Administration of Nigeria, a member of the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), and a Chartered Member of the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM).

As the 7th Executive Secretary of the NCCE, Dr. Ajala is committed to transforming Nigeria’s 236 Colleges of Education into modern, digitally enabled, and globally competitive institutions — repositioning the Nigeria Certificate in Education as a prestigious, aspirational qualification, and ensuring that every Nigerian child has access to a well-prepared and professionally supported teacher.

I believe that Nigeria deserves the best teachers, and that our teachers, as the quiet architects of the nation’s future, deserve the highest quality preparation. I am fully committed to transforming teacher education in Nigeria, with a strong focus on improving the quality and effectiveness of teachers across the country.