The Federal Government has cancelled all admissions into the National Teachers’ Institute (NTI), Kaduna, for the 2026 academic session over alleged violations of regulatory guidelines.
The cancellation affects the institute’s National Certificate in Education (NCE) and degree programmes, including full-time, part-time and Distance Learning Studies (DLS).
The Federal Ministry of Education also ordered NTI to end all its university affiliations and arrangements that allow it to award degrees. It warned prospective students, parents and guardians against applying for admission into the affected programmes.
The Ministry announced the decision in a statement released on Saturday, November 7, 2026, explaining that the institute does not have the legal approval to award NCE certificates or university degrees.
It further directed that no new admissions should be processed under the affected programmes and prohibited the collection of admission fees or other payments from prospective students.
According to the Ministry, the decision followed NTI’s failure to comply with the Ministerial Operational Guidelines issued on September 12, 2025.
The government explained that institutions offering NCE programmes must follow the admission requirements of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and meet the accreditation standards set by the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE).
It also directed the National Universities Commission (NUC) to inform universities affected by the decision and ensure that all arrangements allowing NTI to award degrees are discontinued.
However, the Ministry said the government would not abandon students who had already enrolled in the institute’s existing programmes before the directive was issued.
To address their situation, the NCCE will carry out a detailed accreditation exercise covering existing NCE II, NCE III and NCE IV Distance Learning programmes.
The exercise will also cover NTI study centres located across the six geopolitical zones of the country to determine which programmes and centres meet the required academic standards.
The Ministry stated that students who meet the necessary conditions would be allowed to complete their studies, depending on the outcome of the accreditation exercise and other regulatory requirements.
It added that the decision does not mean NTI has lost its responsibility to train teachers, as its main duties remain focused on teacher education, retraining, professional development and continuous learning for serving teachers.
The institute is also expected to continue supporting teachers through programmes designed to improve their teaching skills and professional knowledge.
One of such programmes is the Special Abridged Programme, which runs for between three and six months. It is designed for serving teachers who hold degrees in courses outside Education and need additional professional training to meet the requirements for registration with the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN).
The Ministry said the programme would help eligible teachers acquire the professional skills needed to qualify for registration and improve their ability to deliver quality education.
It explained that the latest directive was introduced to protect students from enrolling in programmes that lack the required approval and to ensure that academic institutions operate within established regulations.
The government also advised Nigerians to confirm the accreditation status of institutions and programmes before applying for admission or making any payments.
It urged parents, students and other members of the public to obtain admission information directly from the relevant regulatory agencies and official government platforms to avoid falling victim to unapproved academic programmes.