The Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) has announced plans to enforce full professional certification and licensing for teachers across the country by December 2027.
TRCN Registrar, Dr Ronke Soyombo, disclosed this in an interview with The Nation, describing the move as part of sweeping reforms aimed at improving professionalism, strengthening teaching standards and ensuring that only qualified practitioners remain in Nigerian classrooms.
According to Soyombo, the council is targeting at least 75 per cent professional certification among teachers by the end of 2026. Schools will also be expected to demonstrate compliance with the certification requirement.
She explained that TRCN would monitor schools seeking to register candidates for public examinations, including examinations conducted by the National Examinations Council (NECO), to determine whether they meet the required 75 per cent certification threshold.
Soyombo said the ultimate deadline is December 2027, after which teachers without valid TRCN licences will not be permitted to remain in the classroom.
“By December 2027, no teacher will be allowed to remain in the classroom without a valid TRCN licence,” she said.
TRCN to Introduce New Professional Qualifying Examination Structure
As part of the reforms, the council is also restructuring its Professional Qualifying Examination (PQE) to align assessments with candidates’ academic qualifications.
Soyombo said the new integrated examination system would eliminate the perception that all candidates are assessed through a single uniform examination regardless of their academic level.
Under the proposed structure, candidates will take examinations corresponding to the qualification they present for registration.
A PhD holder, for instance, will take a PhD-level examination, while holders of a first degree and NCE will sit for degree-level and NCE-level examinations respectively.
The new examination structure is expected to begin with the November examination.
Soyombo added that the reform would also eliminate ambiguity surrounding candidates’ qualifications at the point of registration.
She stressed that the date a qualification was obtained would be important in determining the appropriate examination level.
For example, a candidate who registers and sits for the examination as an NCE holder cannot later obtain a doctorate and seek to have the earlier examination recognised as a PhD-level assessment.
The TRCN reforms are expected to significantly change the requirements for practising as a professional teacher in Nigeria, with schools and teachers facing increased pressure to meet certification and licensing standards before the December 2027 deadline.
