The Federal Government has announced that all teachers in public and private secondary schools must be certified. Schools that fail to meet this requirement will no longer be allowed to serve as centres for WAEC, NECO, and other national examinations.

The directive was released in a memo on Thursday, September 11, by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, to the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN).

He explained that the decision supports the government’s plan to raise standards and promote professionalism in the teaching sector.

Alausa stated that starting from March 2027 for WASSCE, May 2027 for NABTEB, June 2027 for NECO, and June 2027 for SAISSCE, any school with teachers who are not registered and licensed by the TRCN will lose approval to host examinations.

The minister also directed state governments to make sure the policy is enforced. He noted that by 2026, schools must reach a 75 per cent compliance rate, and by 2027, complete compliance will be required.

To assist teachers who are not education graduates but have at least one year of classroom experience, the minister encouraged them to enrol in the National Teachers Institute (NTI).

He explained that NTI offers short professional courses of three to six months, after which teachers can obtain TRCN registration and licensing.

Alausa urged all stakeholders in the education sector to treat this directive with urgency. He emphasised that proper awareness must be created to prevent disruption in schools’ accreditation for national examinations.