The National Teachers Institute, NTI, has appealed to the Federal Government to reverse its recent decision to cancel its academic programmes and the 2026 admission exercise, warning that such a drastic step could jeopardise the educational career and future aspirations of over 21,000 students currently enrolled across its study centres nationwide.

The appeal was contained in a statement issued and personally signed by the National Chairman of the institute, Dr. Tam Loveday Frank Jumbo, who pleaded with the government to allow the affected students to conclude their academic programmes while the institute works to rectify all regulatory issues raised by the authorities.

Dr. Jumbo’s intervention comes barely days after the Federal Ministry of Education announced the cancellation of all admissions for the 2026 academic year into the institute’s certificate programmes, including the National Certificate in Education, NCE, and other degree-related programmes, citing alleged breaches of admission, accreditation and university affiliation guidelines.

According to the statement, the National Teachers’ Institute received the news of the cancellation with great shock and concern, considering the far-reaching implications the decision will have on thousands of Nigerian teachers and aspiring teachers who depend on the institute for professional upgrading and certification.

Dr. Jumbo described the action of the ministry as capable of creating a major setback for teacher education in Nigeria, noting that the institute has for more than four decades remained the largest and most accessible teacher training institution in the country, with study centres spread across all 774 local government areas.

He explained that the institute was established by the Federal Government in 1976 to address the acute shortage of qualified teachers at the primary and secondary school levels, to provide in-service training for practicing teachers and to ensure continuous professional development in line with global best practices.

The Chairman noted that over the years, the NTI has produced millions of qualified teachers, many of whom are today serving in public and private schools, ministries of education and educational agencies across the country, thereby contributing immensely to the development of Nigeria’s education sector.

He pointed out that the over 21,000 students whose admissions were cancelled are not just ordinary students, but mostly serving teachers in primary and secondary schools, many of whom enrolled to meet the minimum teaching qualification as prescribed by the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria, TRCN, and to secure their jobs.

Dr. Jumbo lamented that these students, who are mostly adults, parents and breadwinners, had already paid their tuition fees, bought textbooks, registered for courses and commenced lectures in various study centres, only to be informed that their admissions have been voided by the Federal Ministry of Education.

He argued that it would be unfair, unjust and counterproductive to punish innocent students for alleged administrative infractions committed by the institution, adding that global best practice demands that when regulatory issues arise, students already admitted should be allowed to complete their studies through a teach-out arrangement.

He said, “Our humble appeal to the Federal Government and the Honourable Minister of Education is to allow these 21,000 students to complete their programmes while we work with the ministry and all regulatory agencies to address the concerns raised. These students should not suffer for institutional lapses that can be corrected administratively.”

The institute, in the statement, also called for a holistic review and repositioning of its operations, admission processes, academic activities and affiliation arrangements to ensure total compliance with the regulatory standards set by the National Commission for Colleges of Education, National Universities Commission and other relevant bodies.

Dr. Jumbo disclosed that management has already constituted an internal compliance and review committee made up of seasoned academics and administrators to critically examine all the issues raised by the Federal Ministry of Education and to make recommendations for immediate and long-term reforms.

He assured the Federal Government, regulatory agencies, students and the general public that the National Teachers’ Institute remains committed to academic excellence, institutional integrity, transparency and strict adherence to all approved guidelines governing teacher education and distance learning in Nigeria.

According to him, the institute is ready and willing to collaborate with the Federal Ministry of Education, NCCE, NUC, TRCN and other stakeholders to ensure that all its programmes are properly accredited, all admissions follow approved quotas and guidelines and all university affiliation agreements are duly updated and regularised.

Dr. Jumbo stressed that teacher education is the foundation of all other forms of education and should not be allowed to suffer disruption due to regulatory disagreements, warning that Nigeria currently faces a deficit of hundreds of thousands of qualified teachers, especially at the basic education level.

He noted that any policy that reduces access to teacher training or forces thousands of trainee teachers out of school will further worsen the learning crisis in Nigeria, where many public primary schools already have only one or two qualified teachers to handle six classes and several subjects.

The National Chairman further explained that the NTI’s open and distance learning system is specifically designed to cater for teachers in hard-to-reach, rural and underserved communities who cannot afford to leave their duty posts to attend conventional colleges of education or universities.

He said for many of these teachers, NTI remains the only affordable, flexible and accessible route to obtaining the NCE and degree qualifications, and cancelling their admissions will not only truncate their personal dreams but also deprive their communities of qualified teachers and role models.

Dr. Jumbo therefore appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who he described as a listening leader and a strong advocate of education reforms and human capital development, to intervene in the matter and direct the ministry to adopt a more humane, gradual and student-centred approach to resolving the issues.

He proposed that instead of outright cancellation, the Federal Ministry of Education should approve a window that allows currently enrolled students to finish their programmes under strict supervision, while placing a temporary suspension on fresh admissions until all accreditation, admission and affiliation issues are fully rectified.

The institute also urged the National Assembly, particularly the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund and the House of Representatives Committee on Basic and Secondary Education, to intervene and ensure that the future of the 21,000 affected students is protected while regulatory standards are maintained.

Some of the affected students who spoke with our correspondent expressed deep worry, frustration and disappointment over the development, saying they borrowed money, sold farm produce and made huge personal sacrifices to enroll, and appealed to the Federal Government to have mercy and allow them to complete their studies.

They noted that many of them need the NCE certificate for promotion, confirmation of appointment and to meet the TRCN deadline for registration as professional teachers, and that cancellation of their admissions will affect their career progression, family income and mental well-being.

As of press time, officials of the Federal Ministry of Education were yet to officially respond to the institute’s appeal, but a source in the ministry maintained that the decision was taken in the interest of quality assurance after an audit revealed serious violations of admission and affiliation regulations.

Education stakeholders across the country have however called for dialogue, compromise and a win-win solution, urging the ministry and the institute to put the interest of the students and the future of Nigerian education first and resolve the matter amicably without destroying the dreams of 21,000 aspiring teachers.