The Federal Ministry of Education has cancelled admissions into National Certificate in Education (NCE) and degree programmes at the National Teachers' Institute (NTI), Kaduna, for the 2026 academic session following breaches involving admission procedures, accreditation and university affiliations.
The Ministry has directed NTI to discontinue university affiliations and degree-awarding arrangements. No new admissions into the affected NCE and degree programmes are permitted, whether through full-time, part-time or Distance Learning Studies (DLS) routes.
Prospective applicants warned against applications and payments
Prospective students and parents have been advised not to apply for, accept admission to or make payments for the affected programmes. The Ministry urged the public to verify accreditation and admission status through the appropriate education regulators and official government channels before making any enrolment decision.
The directive follows violations of Ministerial Operational Guidelines issued on 12 September 2025. NCE admissions must comply with the applicable Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) requirements and standards set by the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE). The National Universities Commission (NUC) is to notify affected universities and ensure compliance with the discontinuation of NTI's university degree arrangements.
What happens to students already enrolled?
The NCCE will conduct a comprehensive accreditation exercise covering existing NCE II to IV Distance Learning programmes and study centres across Nigeria's six geopolitical zones.
Students already enrolled in the affected programmes may be allowed to finish their studies if they meet the applicable conditions and the programmes satisfy the accreditation requirements. Their continuation is subject to the outcomes of the NCCE exercise and relevant regulations.
NTI's teacher-development role remains
The Ministry reaffirmed that NTI's statutory responsibilities include teacher training, retraining, in-service development and continuous professional development.
These activities include pedagogical training and a three-to-six-month Special Abridged Programme intended to help serving teachers who hold non-Education degrees acquire professional competencies for registration with the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), subject to applicable regulations.
The Ministry said the intervention is intended to protect students, uphold academic standards and prevent applicants from enrolling in unauthorised programmes.
