FG cancels NTI's university admissions across the country

The Federal Ministry of Education has cancelled all admissions for 2026 into the National Certificate in Education (NCE) and degree programmes at the National Teachers’ Institute (NTI) in Kaduna. This decision is due to breaches of mission and accreditation rules.

In a statement, the ministry’s spokesperson, Boriowo Folasade, announced that NTI must stop all university affiliations and degree-awarding agreements.

The ministry said NTI will not accept any admissions for full-time, part-time, or Distance Learning Studies (DLS) for NCE or Bachelor’s degree programmes.

The public has been advised not to apply, accept admission offers, or make payments for these programmes.

“All admissions into NTI’s NCE and degree programmes for the 2026 academic session have been cancelled. 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 emphasises that no further admissions into the affected programmes, whether full-time, part-time, or through Distance Learning Studies (DLS), are permitted.”

The violations

The ministry explained that this decision came after violations of the Ministerial Operational Guidelines given to the institute in September 2025.

It stated that NCE admissions must meet the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) requirements and the standards set by the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE).

The ministry said the National Universities Commission (NUC) will inform the universities involved and ensure they follow the order to stop NTI’s degree-awarding arrangements.

To support students already enrolled, the ministry mentioned that the NCCE will fully accredit existing NCE II to IV Distance Learning programmes and study centres in all six geopolitical zones.

It said eligible students may complete their programmes based on the accreditation results and other regulations.

NTI’s mandate

The ministry clarified that NTI’s legal role is to focus on teacher training, retraining, in-service development, and continuous professional development.

“This includes building teaching skills and the three-to-six-month Special Abridged Programme for teachers with non-Education degrees to gain the professional skills needed for registration with the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), in line with applicable regulations,” it noted.

The ministry urged everyone to check a programme’s accreditation and admission status with the relevant regulators and official government channels before enrolling or paying.

It added that this intervention aims to protect students, maintain academic standards, and prevent potential applicants from being involved in unapproved programmes.