Nigeria’s Teachers Registration Council has uncovered 250 fake teaching certificates during a recruitment exercise, raising fresh concerns about the credibility of professional qualifications presented by prospective teachers.

The Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) has announced the discovery of 250 forged teaching certificates during a recruitment exercise involving a state government seeking to employ approximately 1,000 teachers.

The development has prompted the council to strengthen its certificate verification system through the introduction of Quick Response (QR) codes and stricter digital authentication measures.

The Chief Executive and Registrar of TRCN, Dr Ronke Soyombo, disclosed the development on Thursday while monitoring the ongoing computer-based Professional Qualifying Examination (PQE) at Redeemer’s TEAP International School in Abuja.

According to Soyombo, the discovery of the fake certificates demonstrates the need for stronger measures to prevent unqualified individuals from entering Nigeria’s teaching profession.

She warned that the circulation of forged academic and professional credentials could undermine educational standards and expose Nigerian schoolchildren to individuals without the necessary professional competence.

TRCN Introduces QR-Code Certificate Verification

As part of efforts to address certificate fraud, the council has introduced certificates embedded with QR codes.

The new system will enable employers and relevant institutions to verify teachers’ credentials by scanning the codes and accessing the council’s online verification platform.

The initiative is expected to make it easier for schools, government agencies and other employers to authenticate professional certificates before offering teaching appointments.

The digital verification system is also aimed at reducing the chances of individuals securing teaching positions with forged documents.

Examination Measures Tightened Against Malpractice

Beyond certificate verification, the TRCN registrar disclosed that the council had introduced additional measures to strengthen the integrity of its professional qualifying examinations.

The new examination arrangement includes randomised questions designed according to candidates’ academic qualifications.

Under the system, candidates with PhD degrees, bachelor’s degrees and Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) qualifications may receive different sets of questions, even when sitting close to one another.

The measure is intended to discourage examination malpractice and ensure that candidates are assessed according to their respective qualifications.

Soyombo also revealed that previous assessments had exposed weaknesses in mathematics among some teachers, prompting plans for targeted training interventions in collaboration with relevant education agencies.

FG Targets Full Certification of Teachers by 2027

The registrar further disclosed that the Federal Government was working towards strengthening professional certification across the country’s teaching workforce.

According to her, the government has set a target of ensuring that 75 per cent of Nigerian teachers are licensed by the end of 2026.

The target is expected to rise to 100 per cent by December 2027, with all teachers required to obtain professional certification before entering classrooms.

Soyombo stressed that possessing an excellent academic degree alone does not automatically make an individual competent to teach.

She explained that teachers must also demonstrate professional knowledge in pedagogy, child safeguarding and digital literacy.

The minister of education, Dr Tunji Alausa, was commended for supporting the government’s drive towards mandatory professional certification.

Thousands of Candidates Sit for 2026 Qualifying Examination

Soyombo also disclosed that approximately 21,000 candidates were participating in the 2026 Professional Qualifying Examination across the country.

She said candidates were expected to receive their results electronically within one week.

The registrar urged examination candidates to avoid malpractice and fraudulent shortcuts, emphasising that professional competence and genuine qualifications remained essential to improving the nation’s education system.

The discovery of 250 fake teaching certificates has once again drawn attention to the importance of proper credential verification in Nigeria’s recruitment processes.

As the government intensifies efforts to regulate the teaching profession, employers and educational institutions are expected to pay closer attention to the authenticity of certificates presented by prospective teachers.

The success of the new digital verification system could play an important role in protecting schools from fraudulent applicants and strengthening public confidence in Nigeria’s education sector.

Source: Reports by The Punch and Nairametrics, November 13, 2026.