Daniel Otera
As Nigeria struggles with rising learning poverty and poor basic education outcomes, the Federal Government is raising fresh concerns over the persistent presence of unqualified teachers in classrooms nationwide.
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, has declared that the tolerance for unprofessional and uncertified teaching must end. Speaking during the inauguration of the 5th Governing Council of the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) in Abuja on Friday, the minister issued a firm directive to the Council to cleanse the profession.
“This is not business as usual. You must completely eliminate the presence of unqualified teachers from our classrooms. Revoke licences of those who tarnish the dignity of the profession,” Alausa warned.
Available data from TRCN indicates that while more than 2.3 million teachers are registered in Nigeria, over 300,000 of them are either unqualified or yet to complete the certification process required to teach under national policy.
In a 2024 media briefing, TRCN Registrar Prof. Josiah Ajiboye revealed that more than 70 percent of private school teachers in the South-West lacked certification. He described them as “cheaters, not teachers,” highlighting the scale of the problem.
“These are people who are not trained as teachers. They are cheaters, not teachers,” Ajiboye said at a stakeholder engagement session, as reported by Punch Newspaper.
TRCN’s internal assessments and previous government audits confirm the findings. A 2023 estimate by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) shows that about 1.68 million teaching staff are currently deployed in Nigeria’s basic education system. However, at least one-quarter of them are operating without valid TRCN licences.
The situation is more severe in underserved regions. States across the North-Central and North-West zones continue to grapple with acute shortages of qualified teachers. As a result, school authorities in several areas resort to employing untrained staff, especially in rural communities where enforcement mechanisms are weak.
In the North-Central region, a 2023 zonal breakdown by research group Statisense, corroborated by UBEC personnel audits, found that an average of 14.76% of primary school instructors lacked professional certification. The problem is particularly stark in Benue, Kogi, Niger, and Nasarawa States.
In Benue and Niger, many teachers are employed with only a National Certificate in Education (NCE) but have not completed TRCN licensing. In Kogi, enforcement efforts by TRCN in 2023 led to the disqualification of several unlicensed teachers following credential verification visits to both public and private schools.
“TRCN has begun enforcement visits across schools in Kogi. The era of illegal teaching is over,” a TRCN enforcement officer in Lokoja told Punch.
In Nasarawa’s rural LGAs such as Karu and Doma, reports suggest some schools still rely on secondary school leavers or NYSC corps members to serve as full-time teachers, often without oversight or certification.
The Federal Government’s concerns are not without basis. A 2022 joint report by UNESCO, UNICEF, and the World Bank placed Nigeria among the countries with the highest learning poverty globally. The report found that seven in ten Nigerian children aged 10 cannot read or understand a simple passage despite being enrolled in school.
“Learning poverty in Nigeria is alarmingly high,” the World Bank noted in its global review. “It is driven by poor teaching quality, inadequate foundational skills, and the lack of effective classroom instruction.”
UNICEF Nigeria echoed similar concerns in the same year, warning that the issue was not just about enrolment but about the quality of learning taking place in classrooms.
“Learning in poverty is a serious issue. Many children are in school but not learning,” a UNICEF Nigeria education specialist told Vanguard.
Analysts widely agree that this crisis is closely tied to the presence of undertrained and uncertified teachers, especially in public primary schools.
Minister Alausa made it clear that teacher professionalism is a top priority under the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Tinubu administration.
“Every Nigerian child deserves a certified professional with no exceptions,” he said. “The ministry will evaluate your performance against clear Key Performance Indicators quarterly. No excuses. No extensions. Either deliver or step aside.”
He also called for a cultural shift, citing international models such as Finland, where teachers are held in high esteem and undergo rigorous training.
“We must strive toward that ethos here in Nigeria, where our teachers are celebrated not just as facilitators of knowledge, but as nation builders,” Alausa said.
The TRCN, established to regulate the teaching profession, has made progress in recent years. However, data published by Punch and Tribune reveals that fewer than 500,000 of the 2.3 million registered teachers currently hold full professional licences. Enforcement remains a key challenge, particularly in private schools and rural communities.
States like Kaduna, although outside the North-Central zone, have taken bolder steps. The state introduced teacher competency tests, which led to the dismissal of over 22,000 underqualified teachers, according to Blueprint Newspaper. Lagos and Ekiti States have also implemented local teacher performance audits and legislative reforms to improve standards.
Meanwhile, the TRCN has pledged to conduct quarterly KPI reviews for state education boards and is gradually introducing digital licensing and certification tracking systems. However, success will depend on consistent political backing and stakeholder collaboration.
In his message to education stakeholders nationwide, Alausa was unequivocal.
“To our teachers nationwide: This is your Council. Own it. To parents and communities: Hold us accountable. And to this Governing Council: The time for rhetoric is over. The work begins now.”
He concluded with a national call to unity and purpose:
“Though our tribes and tongue may differ, we should stand as brothers and sisters and be united in one cause: That every child, from Sokoto to Calabar, from Maiduguri to Yenagoa, is taught by a qualified, inspired, and TRCN-certified teacher proud to serve.”
And quoting Aristotle, Alausa reminded the education community:
“Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.”