The Federal Government has cancelled all admissions into the National Teachers’ Institute (NTI), Kaduna, for its National Certificate in Education (NCE) and degree programmes for the 2026 academic session, citing violations of regulatory requirements governing admissions, accreditation and university affiliations.
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The Federal Ministry of Education also directed the institute to discontinue all university affiliations and degree-awarding arrangements, declaring that the institution is not authorised to independently award NCE qualifications or university degrees.
The decision was announced in a statement issued on Saturday, November 7, 2026, by the ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade.
According to the ministry, the directive followed identified violations of the Ministerial Operational Guidelines issued on September 12, 2025, which established requirements for the operation of academic programmes and admission processes.
The government consequently warned prospective students, parents and the general public against applying for admission into any of the affected programmes, accepting admission offers or making payments to the institute in connection with such 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 declared.
The ministry explained that the cancellation applies to all admission arrangements under the affected programmes, regardless of whether they are offered through full-time, part-time or Distance Learning Studies (DLS).
It stressed that no further admissions would be permitted until the applicable regulatory requirements were satisfied and the relevant authorities authorised such activities.
“The ministry emphasises that no further admissions into the affected programmes, whether full-time, part-time or through Distance Learning Studies (DLS), are permitted,” it stated.
The Federal Government maintained that institutions offering NCE programmes must comply with the admission requirements of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and the accreditation standards established by the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE).
According to the ministry, compliance with these requirements is necessary to protect the integrity of teacher education programmes and ensure that students obtain qualifications recognised under Nigeria’s educational regulatory framework.
The government also directed the National Universities Commission (NUC) to formally notify universities affected by the decision and ensure compliance with the order terminating NTI’s university affiliation and degree-awarding arrangements.
The directive is intended to prevent the continuation of academic arrangements that do not satisfy the applicable regulations governing university degree programmes.
However, the ministry clarified that the cancellation of new admissions would not automatically prevent all students already enrolled in existing programmes from completing their studies.
It announced measures to protect students who had enrolled in good faith, particularly those undertaking NCE II to NCE IV programmes through Distance Learning Studies.
According to the ministry, the NCCE will conduct a comprehensive accreditation exercise covering existing NCE Distance Learning programmes and study centres operated by the institute across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
The exercise will determine the accreditation status of the affected programmes and study centres, as well as the eligibility of existing students to continue their studies.
The ministry explained that students would only be allowed to complete their programmes where the relevant accreditation and regulatory conditions had been satisfied.
“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 statement said.
“Eligible students may complete their programmes, subject to accreditation outcomes and regulatory requirements.”
The government maintained that the arrangement was designed to balance enforcement of educational standards with the need to protect students who might otherwise suffer academic setbacks because of regulatory violations involving their institution.
It stressed that permission for existing students to complete their programmes would depend on the findings of the accreditation exercise rather than an automatic exemption from the new directive.
The ministry further clarified the statutory responsibilities of the National Teachers’ Institute, explaining that its core mandate is centred on teacher training, retraining and professional development.
According to the government, the institute is expected to concentrate on in-service teacher education, continuous professional development and pedagogical capacity-building aimed at improving teaching standards.
It explained that NTI also has responsibility for providing a Special Abridged Programme lasting between three and six months for serving teachers who possess non-Education degrees.
The programme is intended to enable such teachers to acquire the professional teaching competencies required for registration with the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN).
The ministry maintained that these responsibilities form part of the institute’s recognised mandate and should guide its educational and professional development activities.
It emphasised that the regulatory intervention was not intended to undermine teacher training but to ensure that academic programmes are delivered within the appropriate legal and accreditation framework.
The government identified the protection of students, preservation of academic standards and prevention of enrolment into unapproved programmes as the major objectives of the decision.
It warned that prospective applicants could face difficulties where they enrolled in programmes lacking the necessary admission approvals, accreditation or institutional authorisation.
The ministry consequently advised members of the public to exercise caution when considering admission offers from the institute, particularly those relating to NCE and university degree programmes for the 2026 academic session.
It urged students and parents to verify the approval, accreditation and admission status of academic programmes through JAMB, the NCCE, the NUC and other relevant official government channels before committing funds.
The Federal Government reiterated that all admissions into NTI’s affected NCE and degree programmes for the 2026 academic session stand cancelled, while existing students who qualify under the proposed accreditation exercise may be permitted to complete their studies in accordance with regulatory requirements.
The directive leaves the institute expected to concentrate on its statutory teacher training and professional development responsibilities while the relevant regulatory authorities oversee compliance and determine the status of existing programmes and students.
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