The Federal Government has cancelled all admissions into the National Teachers’ Institute’s (NTI) National Certificate in Education and degree programmes for the 2026 academic session over alleged regulatory breaches.
The Federal Ministry of Education also directed the Kaduna-based institute to discontinue all university affiliations and degree-awarding arrangements, stating that it was not authorised to award NCE or university degrees.
The ministry announced the decisions in a statement issued on Saturday by its Director of Press and Public Relations, Folasade Boriowo.
It warned prospective students, parents and the general public against seeking admission into the affected programmes, including full-time, part-time and Distance Learning Studies.
“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 said.
The ministry also cautioned members of the public against applying for the programmes, accepting admission offers or making payments.
It said the directive followed violations of the Ministerial Operational Guidelines issued on 12 September 2025.
According to the ministry, NCE admissions must comply with the requirements of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board and the accreditation standards of the National Commission for Colleges of Education.
The National Universities Commission was also directed to notify affected universities and ensure compliance with the order discontinuing NTI’s degree-awarding arrangements.
However, the government said it would protect students already enrolled in existing programmes, particularly those in NCE II–IV Distance Learning Studies.
The National Commission for Colleges of Education will conduct comprehensive accreditation of existing programmes and study centres across the six geopolitical zones to determine which students may be allowed to complete their studies.
“Eligible students may complete their programmes, subject to accreditation outcomes and regulatory requirements,” the ministry said.
The ministry clarified that NTI’s statutory responsibilities remained focused on teacher training, retraining, in-service development and continuous professional development.
It added that the institute 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.
The ministry said the directive was aimed at protecting students, maintaining academic standards and preventing prospective applicants from enrolling in unapproved programmes.
It urged the public to verify the accreditation and admission status of academic programmes through relevant regulatory authorities and official government channels before making enrolment or payment decisions.
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