FG to train 250,000 teachers without teaching qualifications

The Federal Government in Nigeria has initiated preparations for the Accelerated Teacher Professionalisation Pathway (ATPP), a six-month program aimed at equipping over 250,000 serving teachers lacking professional teaching qualifications with recognized credentials. The National Teachers’ Institute (NTI) has been appointed as the coordinating secretariat for the program, which is set to be overseen by the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa.

The primary objective of the ATPP is to professionalize non-professional Nigerian teachers and address a longstanding structural weakness in the country’s basic education system, where many teachers are teaching without the necessary qualifications.

The NTI, led by Director and Chief Executive Prof Sadiya Sani Daura, will collaborate with various institutions including the Universal Basic Education Commission, Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria, Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council, National Senior Secondary Education Commission, and National Universities Commission.

The program will consist of two routes: the Postgraduate Diploma in Education for teachers with degrees in non-education disciplines and the Professional Diploma in Education for teachers entering from the National Diploma cadre. Both routes will include self-paced digital content, virtual facilitated sessions, structured assessment checkpoints, and supervised teaching practice.

The teaching practice will be conducted in the teachers' own schools and verified by the NTI. Unlike traditional training methods, the ATPP ensures that teachers remain in the classroom while receiving professional development. The program will be delivered through existing mandated institutions rather than establishing a separate project unit.

While the academic preparations for the program are nearly complete, with curriculum frameworks finalized for both routes, the digital curriculum delivery flow and engagement with partner institutions are still in progress.

The blended approach, combining virtual and physical components, is being adopted due to necessity rather than preference. The program will run for six months, with four months of intensive instruction and two months of teaching practice. The emphasis on the practical component underscores the importance of hands-on experience in improving classroom performance.

The NTI is committed to providing a credible, affordable, and time-bound route for serving teachers without teaching qualifications to obtain TRCN-recognized professional qualifications. The ATPP is scheduled to launch in October 2026 as part of the Renewed Hope Agenda to strengthen teacher quality and enhance learning outcomes nationwide.