The Federal Ministry of Education has cancelled all 2026 admissions into National Teachers’ Institute (NTI) degree and National Certificate in Education (NCE) programs, citing regulatory breaches involving admissions, accreditation and university affiliations.
It directed the institute to discontinue all university affiliations and degree-awarding arrangements and warned prospective students, parents and the public against applying for, accepting offers into, or making payments for the affected programs.
In a statement, the Director Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folashade said the National Teachers’ Institute in Kaduna is not authorized to award NCE certificates or university degrees.
The suspension covers full-time, part-time and Distance Learning Studies programs for the 2026 academic session, it said.
The Ministry said no further admissions would be permitted into the affected courses, the statement reads.
The directive follows violations of ministerial operational guidelines issued on September 12, 2025.
The Ministry, in the statement, said NCE admissions must comply with requirements set by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and accreditation standards established by the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE).
The National Universities Commission (NUC) has been directed to notify affected universities and ensure compliance with the order ending NTI’s degree-awarding arrangements, the statement said further.
The Ministry said it would protect students already enrolled in existing NCE II–IV Distance Learning programs.
According to the directive, the National Commission for Colleges of Education will conduct a comprehensive accreditation review of those programs and study centers across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
Eligible students may complete their studies, subject to the accreditation outcome and applicable regulatory requirements.
The Ministry said NTI’s statutory role remains teacher training, retraining, in-service development and continuing professional development.
The Ministry directed that the institute may continue offering pedagogical capacity-building programs, including a three-to-six-month special abridged program for serving teachers who hold non-education degrees and need professional competencies for registration with the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), the statement said.
It said the intervention is intended to protect students, preserve academic standards and prevent prospective applicants from being exposed to unapproved programs.
The Ministry urged the public to verify program accreditation and admission status through the relevant regulators and official government channels before enrolling or making payments, the statement said.
