By Erewunmi Peace

The Federal Government has introduced new conditions for secondary schools seeking to retain accreditation to host public examinations such as WAEC, NECO, NABTEB, and SAISSCE.

According to a directive from the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, only schools whose teachers are registered and licensed with the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) will continue to qualify as examination centres.

The new policy, announced on September 11, 2025, sets clear compliance deadlines:

March 2027 – WAEC (WASSCE)

May 2027 – NABTEB

June 2027 – NECO

June 2027 – SAISSCE

Schools that fail to meet the requirement will lose accreditation to host these examinations.

To ensure smooth implementation, the government has directed that schools must achieve at least 75% compliance by 2026 and full 100% compliance by 2027.

As part of the transition, non-education graduates already teaching in schools with at least one year of classroom experience are encouraged to enroll in an abridged certification programme at the National Teachers’ Institute (NTI). The programme, which lasts between three to six months, will enable them to qualify for TRCN registration.

Dr. Alausa emphasized that the move is part of efforts to professionalize teaching in Nigeria, improve standards in the education sector, and safeguard the credibility of public examinations.