The federal government has mandated that all secondary school teachers in Nigeria must be certified by the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) before their schools can qualify to serve as examination centres.
The directive was issued in a memo on Thursday by the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, to the registrar of the TRCN.
Alausa said the move was aimed at strengthening professionalism in the teaching sector and ensuring that only qualified teachers prepare students for public examinations.
Starting in 2027, the accreditation of secondary schools for examinations conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WASSCE), National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB), National Examinations Council (NECO), and the State-administered Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations (SAISSCE) will be tied strictly to TRCN certification.
“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 stated.
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He further directed state governments to ensure compliance by both private and public schools, with a target of 75% teacher certification by 2026 and full compliance by 2027.
To ease compliance, the minister encouraged teachers without formal education degrees but with at least one year of classroom experience to enroll in short-term professional programmes at the National Teachers Institute (NTI).
The NTI offers three- to six-month courses leading to TRCN registration and licensing.
Alausa also urged education stakeholders to embark on wide sensitisation to avoid disruptions in school accreditation ahead of the 2027 public examination season.