The Federal Government has issued a stern directive that by 2027, both public and private secondary schools must ensure that their teachers are fully certified by the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) or risk being barred from serving as examination centres for national exams.
The new policy, announced on Thursday through a memo signed by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, is part of the government’s renewed effort to professionalize teaching and restore standards in the nation’s education sector. The memo was addressed to the Registrar/Chief Executive of the TRCN and copied to relevant stakeholders across the federation.
Dr. Alausa emphasized that this directive aligns with the government’s long-term plan to strengthen professionalism in education and improve learning outcomes. According to him, the accreditation of schools for public examinations such as WASSCE, NECO, NABTEB, and the National Business and Innovation Skills Examination (NBIAS) will be directly tied to the TRCN certification status of teachers beginning in 2027.
The directive outlines a phased compliance timeline: effective from March 2027 for WASSCE, May 2027 for NABTEB, and June 2027 for both NECO and SAISSCE. Schools that fail to meet these requirements will automatically lose accreditation to serve as examination centres, a move the government hopes will compel schools to prioritize teacher quality.
Furthermore, the minister urged state governments to begin immediate sensitisation and ensure that teachers in both public and private schools are fully registered with TRCN within the two-year transition period. He stated that compliance monitoring would begin in 2026, with schools expected to achieve a minimum of 75 per cent compliance before moving to full 100 per cent certification by 2027.
To ease the burden of compliance, Alausa explained that teachers who are non-education graduates but have at least 12 months of classroom experience could enroll at the National Teachers Institute (NTI). Through the NTI, they would undergo short professional courses lasting between three and six months, after which they could register with the TRCN.
The Nigeria Education News conducted random interviews with private school teachers across Osun State to gauge reactions to this development. At a private secondary school in Osogbo, Christ Ambassador College, a mathematics teacher, Mr. Abiodun Adebayo, said the directive was “long overdue,” stressing that certification will help eliminate quackery in the profession. “For too long, anyone with a degree, whether related to education or not, has been entering the classroom. This is an opportunity to raise the bar,” he remarked.
In Ilesa, however, a female English teacher at For-Better-Tomorrow School, Mrs. Folashade Ojo, expressed concern about the financial implications for private school teachers who are already underpaid. “Many of us are struggling with salaries that are not even up to the minimum wage. Asking us to spend extra money on certification without government subsidy may be unfair,” she lamented.
A Biology Teacher in Osogbo, Mr. Tomiwa, struck a balance, noting that while the directive is a good idea, implementation must be flexible. “If the government wants results, they should partner with private school owners to subsidize training fees for teachers. Otherwise, some schools may cut corners, and that will defeat the purpose of the policy,” he said.
In Ife, a school administrator, Mrs. Rukayat Bello, revealed that many private schools are already worried about losing accreditation if they cannot afford to sponsor their staff. She called for more stakeholder dialogue. “We support professionalism, but the government must understand the peculiar challenges private schools face. Without support, some schools might shut down,” she added.
Meanwhile, education analysts in Osun noted that this directive is in line with global best practices, where professional licensing is non-negotiable. They argued that Nigeria’s education system has suffered long enough from the influx of unqualified teachers, leading to poor student performance in national exams.
This is not the first time Dr. Alausa has raised alarm over unqualified teachers. In July, during the inauguration of the 5th Governing Council of the TRCN, he declared that unqualified teachers should be flushed out of classrooms, describing their presence as “a major setback to the teaching profession.”
As the countdown to 2027 begins, stakeholders across the country are expected to take urgent steps to comply. The government has reiterated that there will be no going back on the policy, stressing that it is the only way to restore dignity to the teaching profession and improve the credibility of Nigeria’s education system.
For now, the reactions remain divided between those who see the directive as a bold step towards educational reform and those who view it as a burden on already struggling teachers and school owners. How the government balances enforcement with support will ultimately determine whether the policy succeeds or triggers more crises in Nigeria’s fragile education sector.
