The Federal Government has directed that all secondary school teachers, in both public and private institutions, must possess proper certification, warning that schools failing to comply will no longer be allowed to serve as examination centres.
The directive was issued in a memo on Thursday, September 11, by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, to the Registrar/Chief Executive of the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN). Alausa said the measure aligns with government policy to strengthen professionalism in the teaching sector.
He stated, “Accordingly, effective from March 2027 for WASSCE, May 2027 for NABTEB, June 2027 for NECO and June 2027 for SAISSCE, any school whose teachers are not duly registered and licensed with the TRCN shall be disqualified from serving as an examination centre.”
Alausa further urged state governments to enforce compliance, saying, “Compliance with this directive shall be monitored, with schools expected to achieve a minimum compliance rate of 75 per cent by 2026 and full compliance of 100 per cent by 2027.”
To ease the process for teachers who are non-education graduates but have at least 12 months of classroom experience, the minister encouraged enrolment in the National Teachers Institute (NTI). He explained, “The affected teachers could qualify for the abridged professional certification programme offered through the National Teachers Institute. The programme consists of short professional courses lasting between three months and six months, after which participants would qualify for TRCN registration and licensing.”
He concluded by urging stakeholders to prioritise the directive, noting, “I urge those concerned to give the directive the highest priority and ensure wide sensitisation of stakeholders across the country so as to avoid disruption of accreditation for public examinations.”
