The Federal Ministry of Education has cancelled all 2026 admissions into NCE and degree programmes at the National Teachers’ Institute (NTI), Kaduna, citing breaches of its approved mandate and accreditation requirements.
The ministry also directed NTI to discontinue all university affiliations and arrangements through which degree programmes are awarded, warning prospective students against applying for or paying for the affected programmes.
In a statement issued by the ministry’s spokesperson, Boriowo Folasade, the government said NTI would no longer process admissions into NCE or Bachelor’s degree programmes through full-time, part-time or Distance Learning Studies (DLS) channels.
“All admissions into NTI’s NCE and degree programmes for the 2026 academic session have been cancelled,” the ministry said, adding that the institute had been directed to discontinue university affiliations and degree-awarding arrangements because it was not authorised to award NCE and university degrees.
The decision followed what the ministry described as violations of the Ministerial Operational Guidelines issued to NTI in September 2025.
According to the ministry, NCE admissions must comply with requirements established by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and accreditation standards set by the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE).
The government said the National Universities Commission (NUC) would notify the universities involved in NTI’s degree-awarding arrangements and ensure compliance with the directive.
It, however, said measures were being taken to protect students who are already enrolled in the affected programmes.
Under the arrangement, NCCE will fully accredit existing NCE II to IV Distance Learning programmes and study centres operated across the six geopolitical zones.
Eligible students will be allowed to complete their programmes, subject to the outcome of the accreditation exercise and compliance with applicable regulatory requirements.
The ministry clarified that NTI’s statutory mandate remains focused on teacher training, retraining, in-service development and continuous professional development.
This includes pedagogical capacity-building and the three-to-six-month Special Abridged Programme for serving teachers who hold non-Education degrees and require professional competencies for registration with the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), subject to applicable regulations.
The government advised prospective students and members of the public to verify the accreditation and admission status of any programme with the relevant regulatory agencies and official government channels before enrolling or making payments.
It said the intervention was intended to protect students, maintain academic standards and prevent prospective applicants from being exposed to programmes that have not received the necessary regulatory approval.
