FG MANDATES N.T.I. TO PROFESSIONALISE 250,000 UNQUALIFIED SERVING TEACHERS

The Federal Government has mandated the National Teachers’ Institute (NTI), Kaduna, to coordinate the professionalisation of 250,000 serving teachers without formal teaching qualifications.

According to the Accelerated Teacher Professionalisation Pathway (ATPP), the programme will provide structured and affordable routes for eligible teachers to obtain qualifications recognised by the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN).

The six-month programme will run through two routes: the Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) for degree holders without education qualifications, and the Professional Diploma in Education (PDE) for teachers entering from the National Diploma cadre. Both routes will include digital learning, virtual sessions, assessments and supervised teaching practice.

The Federal Government says the initiative is not designed to remove the affected teachers from classrooms, but to give them an opportunity to acquire the required professional qualifications. The programme is expected to be launched in October 2026.