The Federal Government has cancelled all 2026 admissions into the National Teachers’ Institute (NTI) National Certificate in Education (NCE) and degree programmes over regulatory breaches involving admissions, accreditation and university affiliations.
The Federal Ministry of Education also directed the Kaduna-based institute to discontinue all university affiliations and degree-awarding arrangements, stating that it is not authorised to award NCE certificates or university degrees.
The directive was contained in a statement issued on Saturday by the ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade, as reported by TheCable.
The ministry warned prospective students, parents and the general public against seeking admission into the affected programmes, including full-time, part-time and Distance Learning Studies (DLS).
It also cautioned against accepting admission offers or making payments for the programmes.
“Consequently, all admissions into NTI’s NCE and degree programmes for the 2026 academic session have been cancelled, while the Institute has been directed to discontinue all university affiliations and degree-awarding arrangements, as it is not authorised to award NCE and university degrees,” the statement read.
The ministry said the decision followed violations of the Ministerial Operational Guidelines issued on September 12, 2025.
It explained that admissions into NCE programmes must comply with the requirements of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and accreditation standards set by the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE).
The government also directed the National Universities Commission (NUC) to notify affected universities and ensure compliance with the order ending NTI’s degree-awarding arrangements.
FG Moves to Protect Existing NTI Students
Despite cancelling the 2026 admissions, the Federal Government said it would take steps to protect students already enrolled in existing programmes, particularly those undertaking NCE II–IV Distance Learning Studies.
The NCCE will conduct a comprehensive accreditation exercise covering existing programmes and study centres across the six geopolitical zones.
The exercise will determine which programmes and centres meet the required standards and which students may be permitted to complete their studies.
“To protect innocent students already enrolled, the NCCE will conduct comprehensive accreditation of existing NCE II–IV Distance Learning programmes and study centres across the six geopolitical zones,” the ministry stated.
It added that eligible students could complete their programmes, subject to accreditation outcomes and applicable regulatory requirements.
FG Clarifies NTI’s Statutory Responsibilities
The ministry reiterated that the National Teachers’ Institute’s statutory mandate remains focused on teacher training, retraining, in-service development and continuous professional development.
It said the institute should concentrate on improving teachers’ professional competencies through pedagogical capacity-building and other approved training programmes.
The ministry also highlighted a three-to-six-month Special Abridged Programme designed for serving teachers with non-education degrees.
The programme is intended to equip such teachers with the professional competencies required for registration with the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), subject to applicable regulations.
The Federal Government said the intervention was aimed at protecting students, maintaining academic standards and preventing prospective applicants from enrolling in unapproved programmes.
It urged members of the public to verify the accreditation and admission status of educational programmes through relevant regulatory authorities and official government channels before applying or making payments.
