The Federal Government has cancelled all admissions into the National Teachers’ Institute (NTI), Kaduna State, for the 2026 academic session over alleged regulatory breaches involving admissions, accreditation and university affiliations.
The Federal Ministry of Education also directed the institute to discontinue all university affiliations and degree-awarding arrangements, insisting that NTI was not authorised to award National Certificate in Education (NCE) or university degrees.
The ministry announced the decision in a statement issued on Saturday by its Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade.
It warned prospective students, parents and the general public against applying for admission into the affected programmes, accepting admission offers or making payments.
The directive covers full-time, part-time and Distance Learning Studies programmes.
The ministry stated, “No further admissions into the affected programmes, whether full-time, part-time or through Distance Learning Studies (DLS), are permitted.”
It explained that the decision followed violations of the Ministerial Operational Guidelines issued on September 12, 2025.
According to the ministry, admissions into NCE programmes must comply with the requirements of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and the accreditation standards of the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE).
It also directed the National Universities Commission (NUC) to notify affected universities and ensure compliance with the order discontinuing NTI’s degree-awarding arrangements.
However, the government said it would take steps to protect students already enrolled in existing programmes, particularly those undertaking NCE II–IV through distance learning.
The ministry disclosed that the NCCE would conduct a comprehensive accreditation exercise covering existing NCE distance-learning programmes and study centres across the six geopolitical zones.
It said eligible students could be allowed to complete their programmes, subject to the outcome of the accreditation exercise and other regulatory requirements.
The ministry further clarified that NTI’s statutory mandate remained focused on teacher training, retraining, in-service development and continuous professional development.
It added that the institute was expected to continue providing pedagogical capacity-building and a three-to-six-month Special Abridged Programme for serving teachers with non-education degrees.
The programme is designed to equip such teachers with the professional competencies required for registration with the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), subject to applicable regulations.
The ministry said the intervention was aimed at protecting students, maintaining academic standards and preventing prospective applicants from enrolling in unapproved programmes.
It consequently urged members of 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.
