In the grand story of the education system of any country, teachers are the heartbeat. They stand at the intersection of knowledge and nation-building, responsible for shaping minds that will one day shape the country. Yet, for a profession so crucial to national development, teacher preparation in Nigeria remains riddled with contradictions where certification is often mistaken for competence, and credentials for quality.
Across the country, from Lagos to Sokoto, thousands of teachers hold valid certificates such as National Certificates in Education (NCE), Bachelor’s degrees in Education, or postgraduate diplomas, yet the learning outcomes among pupils remain alarmingly poor. The truth is, paper qualifications do not necessarily translate into effective teaching. The crisis is not about the number of certified teachers Nigeria has; it is about the quality of training, the depth of mentorship, and the absence of continuous professional growth that transforms teaching from a job into a craft.
The certification illusion and the quality gap in teacher preparation
For decades, the Nigerian education system has equated teacher certification with professional readiness. The National Policy on Education mandates the NCE as the minimum teaching qualification, a commendable standard on paper. However, this focus on certification has fostered a system where the process of obtaining credentials is prioritised over the development of genuine teaching competence.
Many teacher education institutions like colleges of education and faculties of education in universities face challenges ranging from outdated curricula to insufficient exposure to modern pedagogical methods. Trainee teachers often graduate having memorised theories of education but with little experience in classroom management, differentiated learning, or child psychology. As a result, they enter classrooms armed with certificates but unequipped for the complexities of real teaching.
According to data from the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Nigeria has over 1.5 million teachers in basic education. However, several studies, including a 2023 World Bank education report, show that a significant proportion of these teachers lack proficiency in the subjects they teach. In many rural schools, teachers who hold NCEs or even B.Ed. degrees struggle to pass the same literacy and numeracy tests given to their pupils. In 2019, data from UBEC shows that only 57% of 1.5m basic education teachers are qualified
This exposes a deep flaw in Nigeria’s teacher education pipeline, a disconnect between theory and practice. Teacher training institutions are meant to be incubators of innovation, yet most are under-resourced. Laboratories, libraries, and teaching aids are either outdated or non-existent. Instead of training future teachers to adopt child-centred and inquiry-based learning, many institutions still rely on lecture-style delivery that mirrors the very system they should reform.
A certificate is merely proof of attendance; competence is proof of mastery. Effective teaching requires far more than academic knowledge, it demands empathy, communication, adaptability, and a deep understanding of how children learn. Pedagogical training must therefore be at the core of teacher education, not a footnote.
Competent teachers know how to inspire curiosity, use formative assessments to track progress, integrate technology effectively, and adjust instruction for learners with diverse needs. These are skills that cannot be measured by a certificate alone; they are cultivated through rigorous practice, mentorship, and reflective teaching.
Continuous professional development: the missing link
In advanced education systems, teacher learning never stops. Continuous Professional Development (CPD) is built into the profession, allowing educators to stay updated with new research, teaching strategies, and educational technologies. In Nigeria, however, CPD remains sporadic, underfunded, or entirely absent.
While the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) has made strides in professionalising teaching through licensing, its monitoring and capacity-building mechanisms need strengthening. Too often, workshops and seminars are one-off events with little follow-up, rather than structured programmes that foster ongoing growth.
This lack of continuous learning is particularly damaging in a fast-changing educational landscape. The rise of digital learning, inclusive education, and competency-based curricula demands that teachers constantly evolve. Yet, without systematic support, many Nigerian teachers remain stuck with obsolete methods, chalk and talk in a world that requires creativity and interactivity.
No great teacher becomes one in isolation. Mentorship which simply means the process of experienced educators guiding new entrants into the profession is fundamental to building teacher quality. Unfortunately, the Nigerian system has yet to institutionalise mentorship in teacher preparation. Teaching practice, which should serve as an immersive experience, often becomes a mere formality for students to fulfil graduation requirements.
When new teachers enter classrooms without sustained guidance, they are left to navigate challenges alone from managing large class sizes to handling children with diverse learning abilities. A structured mentorship programme that pairs novice teachers with experienced ones could drastically improve classroom effectiveness and retention in the profession.
If Nigeria hopes to raise the quality of education, teacher training institutions must themselves be reformed. This begins with curriculum overhaul. The content of teacher education must integrate current best practices such as competency-based education, inclusive teaching methods, classroom research, and the use of technology in instruction.
Moreover, training institutions must be better funded and held accountable for outcomes. Accreditation should not be a bureaucratic exercise but a rigorous process that ensures only competent teachers are certified. Partnerships between teacher colleges, universities, and schools can bridge the gap between theory and practice, ensuring that trainees gain authentic classroom experience.
Also, government policy must shift from producing certified teachers to developing effective ones. This involves reorienting the TRCN and NERDC to focus not just on licensing but on professional growth frameworks. Incentivising CPD, improving teacher welfare, and recognising excellence in practice will restore dignity to the profession.
Additionally, accountability systems must be restructured to reward competence rather than credentials. For instance, promotions and career advancement should be tied to demonstrated classroom performance and engagement in professional development, not merely years of service or qualifications.
Effect of inadequate teacher training
When teacher training focuses solely on certification, learners pay the price. Poorly prepared teachers produce disengaged students, low literacy and numeracy levels, and a generation ill-equipped for the demands of the modern world. But when teacher training prioritises skill, mentorship, and growth, the ripple effect transforms classrooms into spaces of discovery and excellence.
Education reforms, curriculum upgrades, or digital innovations will all falter if the teacher remains underprepared. A teacher who is inspired, skilled, and supported can ignite change in ways no policy can. That is why rebuilding the teaching profession from the inside out, focusing on competence over credentials is not just an educational necessity; it is a national imperative.
Final thoughts
Nigeria’s education crisis is, at its core, a teacher-quality crisis. Certificates can open the door to the classroom, but they cannot make a teacher effective. Real transformation lies in how Nigeria trains, mentors, and continuously supports its educators. As the world evolves, Nigeria must redefine what it means to be a qualified teacher. Beyond the ink on a certificate lies the heart of education, the teacher who learns, grows, and inspires others to do the same. Certification should be the starting point, not the destination.
