World Teachers Day: Only 2.4m Teachers Certified in Nigeria, Says TRCN

* As Niger govt honours Comrade Labaran Garba

Kuni Tyessi in Abuja and Laleye Dipo in Minna

Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) said only 2.4 million teachers had been certified to be professional teachers, as captured in the council’s database. Director in charge of Planning, Research and Statistics at the council, Ugo-Ali Lawrence, stated this on Saturday in Abuja during the 2024 Teachers’ Day commemoration programme organised by Association of Model Islamic Schools (AMIS-Nigeria) in collaboration with Quality Education Development Associates (QEDA).

Lawrence said the council had institutionalised the teaching license and without it, one was not a qualified teacher.
Meanwhile, Niger State Government honoured Comrade Labaran Garba, former Assistant National General Secretary and immediate past Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Niger State wing, on World Teachers’ Day.
Garba recently retired from the public service after attaining the mandatory retirement age. The state government in honouring Garba eulogised him for piloting the affairs of NUT to an enviable height.

Lawrence observed that in Abuja many, particularly in private schools, who had not sat for the qualifying exams, were losing in opportunities, such as legal backing to demand enhanced remuneration from employees and the global recognition that comes with it.
He stated that other privileges included the upscaling of teachers in attending more professional courses and the registration into the council’s database, which he said was for a life time.

Lawrence added that so far, the council was publishing a journal of Nigerian teachers where teachers could publish materials, explaining that the said journal is in its seventh edition.
He said, “Teachers and the teaching profession are well regulated and professionally recognised globally.  There are so far 2.4 million teachers that have been certified by the council and that is the number in the council’s database.

“We call on development partners and the private sector to join the council in the accreditation of teacher trainers across the country, as the council cannot do it alone. We are already working with development partners to see how dignity of teachers can be improved.”
At the programme, 119 plaques and certificates of recognition were awarded to outstanding teachers and professional educationists, who had made their marks in the teaching profession, particularly in the Federal Capital Territory.

Those present at the event included Director, FCT Education Resource Centre, Dr. Neemat Daud-Abdulrahim, who was surprised at her nomination and went ahead to pledge more commitment in fostering the growth of education in the country with emphasis in the FCT.
Daud-Abdulrahim said teachers needed to celebrate themselves in the face of the value they added to the growth of the country and “for us teachers, we are the future of every nation and I am happy to be a teacher”.

She added, “Whatever I was doing that has made them to recognise me, I intend to do more and I’m committed to do more and bring more innovation and creativity to the education sector to the FCT and Nigeria.”
Presenting the award of “Excellence, Hardwork, Dedication and Selfless Service to the Growth and Development of the Education Sector in Niger State” to the unionists, the state Ministry of Basic Education credited them with many innovations, especially the Teachers Endwell Programme and the construction of an ultra-modern secretariat for the state NUT.

In a message to the event, held at the Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi International Conference Centre, in Minna, Niger State Governor, Alhaji Mohammed Bago, acknowledged the numerous challenges teachers faced in practising their profession and promised to find solutions to them.
Bago, represented by the majority leader in the state House of Assembly, Alhaji Musa Vatsa, assured teachers that the state government “is introducing several measures that will squarely address their challenges”.

He stated, “The state government is closely working with all relevant stakeholders, including the legislature, to improve on the education sector, which is why half of next year’s budget will be for the development of the education sector.”
Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Dr. Hadiza Muhammad, promised that the ministry will continue to provide the enabling environment for teachers to perform their professional roles without any let or hindrance.