In a bold move to reform Nigeria’s education system, the Federal Government has announced that by 2027, secondary schools without properly certified teachers will be barred from hosting public examinations, including WASSCE, NECO, NABTEB, and SAISSCE.
The directive, issued on September 11, 2025, by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, mandates that only schools with teachers registered and licensed by the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) will be eligible for accreditation as examination centres.
“In line with government policy to strengthen professionalism in the teaching profession, the accreditation of both public and private secondary schools for the conduct of public examinations shall henceforth be contingent on TRCN certification of all teaching staff,” the directive stated.
The move follows longstanding concerns over the prevalence of unqualified teachers in the system. A 2023 report by TRCN revealed that in some regions, up to 70 percent of secondary school teachers were not professionally qualified, sparking alarm among education stakeholders.
Under the new policy, enforcement will begin with the 2027 examination cycle:
WASSCE – March 2027
NABTEB – May 2027
NECO – June 2027
SAISSCE – June 2027
Any school that fails to meet the TRCN certification requirement by these dates will be ineligible to serve as an examination centre.
The directive also places responsibility on State Governments to ensure compliance within their jurisdictions, urging them to facilitate certification for teachers in both public and private schools over the next two years.
To ease the transition, the Ministry is encouraging non-education graduates with at least 12 months of teaching experience to enrol in a fast-track professional certification programme offered by the National Teachers Institute (NTI). The programme spans three to six months and qualifies participants for TRCN registration upon completion.
Schools are expected to achieve a minimum of 75% compliance by 2026, and full compliance (100%) by 2027. Monitoring and enforcement mechanisms will be put in place to track progress.
The Ministry has emphasized the need for urgent and widespread sensitization of education stakeholders across the country to ensure seamless implementation and prevent disruption to examination accreditation.
Education experts have long pointed to the employment of unqualified teachers—particularly in private schools—as a key factor undermining learning outcomes. The new directive, they say, signals a long-awaited shift towards improving teaching standards and restoring professionalism to Nigeria’s secondary education system.
