Federal Government bars NTI from awarding degrees and NCE

According to BusinessDay, the Federal Government has barred the National Teachers' Institute, Kaduna, from awarding National Certificate in Education and university degrees. This decision follows regulatory breaches involving admissions, accreditation, and university affiliations.

Admissions Cancelled and Affiliations Halted

The government cancelled all admissions into the institute's NCE and degree programmes for the 2026 academic session. It directed the institute to discontinue all university affiliations and degree-awarding arrangements. Boriowo Folasade, director of press and public relations at the Federal Ministry of Education, signed a statement warning prospective students, parents, and the general public against seeking admission into the affected programmes. The ministry stated that no further admissions, whether full-time, part-time, or through Distance Learning Studies, are permitted. Members of the public were urged not to apply, accept admission offers, or make payments.

Regulatory Directives and Student Protection

This directive follows violations of the Ministerial Operational Guidelines issued on September 12, 2025. The ministry clarified that NTI must ensure its NCE admissions comply with JAMB requirements and NCCE standards. The NUC was directed to notify affected universities and ensure compliance. To protect students already enrolled, the NCCE will conduct comprehensive accreditation of existing NCE II to IV Distance Learning programmes and study centres across the six geopolitical zones. Eligible students will be allowed to complete their programmes, subject to accreditation outcomes and other regulatory requirements.

The ministry stressed that the statutory mandate of the National Teachers' Institute remains focused on teacher training, retraining, in-service development, and continuous professional development. Authorised functions include pedagogical capacity building and a three to six-month Special Abridged Programme for serving teachers with non-Education degrees. This helps them acquire professional competencies required for registration with the TRCN. The ministry urged the public to verify programme accreditation and admission status through relevant regulatory authorities and official government channels before making enrolment or payment decisions.