The Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) has sounded the alarm over the shortage of qualified teachers in the country, attributing it to the decline in educational standards.
Dr. Ronke Soyombo, the Council’s Chief Executive Officer, highlighted this issue during an appearance on Channels Television on Monday, October 6, in honor of World Teachers Day 2025. She explained that while many teachers lack the necessary qualifications, there are also individuals genuinely interested in teaching who cannot enter the profession due to insufficient credentials. However, the Council is actively working on solutions to address the teacher shortage.
Dr. Soyombo stated, “There are many unqualified teachers currently teaching, especially in private schools, without the proper teaching qualifications.
“It’s one thing to attend a teacher’s college, but it’s another to effectively break down lessons to meet students’ specific needs. This challenge must be tackled. Our accelerated program aims to bring more qualified teachers into the profession because many potential teachers avoid public schools due to lack of education degrees.
“At present, about 1.4 million teachers are registered with TRCN, but our goal is to increase that number to 20 million within the next two years. We have digitized our registration system to make it easier for more teachers to register.
“Each teacher has unique strengths, but we encourage collaboration in lesson planning. When multiple teachers work together, they produce richer content than when working alone.
“In today’s 21st-century education, fostering a culture of collaboration among students is crucial. Mixed-ability groupings and cooperative learning are becoming increasingly important, and teachers are eager to expand this approach.
“Additionally, on leadership, teachers are encouraged to visit high-performing schools and adopt best practices to improve their own institutions.”
