BY NGOZI ONYEAKUSI

The Federal Government has cancelled all admissions into the National Teachers’ Institute (NTI) National Certificate in Education (NCE) and degree programmes for the 2026 academic session, citing regulatory violations in its admission and academic arrangements.

The Federal Ministry of Education also ordered the Kaduna-based institution to terminate all affiliations with universities and discontinue degree-awarding arrangements, declaring that it lacks the statutory authority to award NCE certificates and university degrees.

The directive was announced by the Federal Ministry of Education in a statement issued on Saturday by its Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade.

Consequently, the ministry prohibited further admissions into the affected programmes, including full-time, part-time and Distance Learning Studies (DLS).

It also cautioned prospective students, parents and guardians against applying for the programmes, accepting admission offers or making payments to the institute in respect of the affected courses.

According to the ministry, the decision followed NTI’s alleged violation of the Ministerial Operational Guidelines issued on September 12, 2025.

It explained that NCE admissions must comply with the requirements of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), as well as accreditation standards set by the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE).

The ministry further directed the National Universities Commission (NUC) to formally notify affected universities and ensure that they comply with the order ending NTI’s degree-awarding arrangements.

However, the government said measures had been put in place to protect students already enrolled in existing programmes, particularly those in the NCE II–IV Distance Learning Studies.

It directed the NCCE to undertake a comprehensive accreditation exercise covering existing NCE programmes and study centres across the six geopolitical zones to establish which students would be eligible to complete their studies.

The ministry said affected students could be allowed to complete their programmes, subject to the outcome of the accreditation exercise and compliance with relevant regulatory requirements.

Reaffirming NTI’s statutory mandate, the government said the institute’s responsibilities remained centred on teacher training, retraining, in-service development and continuous professional development.

It added that NTI was expected to provide pedagogical capacity-building and a three-to-six-month Special Abridged Programme for serving teachers with non-Education degrees to acquire the professional competencies required for registration with the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN).

The ministry said the intervention was intended to safeguard students’ interests, uphold academic standards and prevent enrolment in programmes that lack the necessary regulatory approval.

It urged prospective students and members of the public to verify the accreditation and admission status of institutions and programmes through the relevant regulatory agencies and official government channels before making enrolment or payment decisions.