FG to Schools: Certify your teachers by 2027 or lose WAEC accreditation

The Federal Government has issued a firm directive requiring that only schools with certified teachers will be allowed to serve as centres for national examinations starting in 2027. 

This announcement came from the Minister of State for Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, in a memo to the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN). Accreditation for schools conducting exams like WASSCE, NECO, NABTEB, and SAISSCE will now depend on teachers being properly certified.

Dr. Alausa specified that from March 2027 for WASSCE, May 2027 for NABTEB, and June 2027 for NECO and SAISSCE, schools whose teachers are not registered and licensed by the TRCN will be disqualified as examination centres. “Any school whose teachers are not duly registered and licensed with the TRCN shall be disqualified from serving as an examination centre,” he warned. The move aims to improve education quality by removing unqualified teachers from classrooms.

Schools must meet a target of 75 percent certified teachers by 2026 and full compliance by 2027. To help achieve this, the government encourages teachers without education degrees but with at least one year of classroom experience to enrol in the National Teachers Institute’s abridged certification programme. These short courses, lasting three to six months, will qualify such teachers for TRCN registration and licensing.

Despite these initiatives, many education experts are concerned that schools especially in rural areas may struggle to meet these deadlines. A lack of funding, infrastructure, and access to training could mean some schools fail to comply. This could lead to many losing their accreditation to host national exams, forcing students to travel long distances to write their exams.

Dr. Alausa called on state governments to take urgent steps to ensure compliance within their jurisdictions. He urged all stakeholders to prioritise this directive to prevent disruptions in the accreditation process. He stressed that this reform is essential to “rescue Nigeria’s teaching profession from mediocrity and restore its dignity.”

While the directive represents a major step toward professionalising teaching, there are still challenges to overcome. The government is committed to eliminating unqualified teachers, but schools and education authorities must now balance this goal with existing resource constraints.

With the 2027 deadline approaching, schools, teachers, and state governments are under pressure to act. If fully implemented, this policy could reshape Nigeria’s education system ensuring only certified teachers guide students and preserving the integrity of national examinations.