By Funmilayo Adeyemi
The Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) says its ongoing digital reforms have greatly improved teachers’ access to certification, licensing, and other professional services nationwide.
The Registrar of TRCN, Dr Ronke Soyombo, disclosed this during a news conference on Thursday in Abuja while presenting the council’s digital transformation performance report.
Soyombo said the council was intensifying digital reforms and professional support programmes aimed at achieving full certification of teachers nationwide by 2027.
She explained that the reforms were part of targets set shortly after she assumed office, including 100-day, six-month, and two-year implementation plans designed to modernise teacher regulation in Nigeria.
According to her, the launch of the TRCN digital portal and website on August 26, 2025 marked a major milestone in addressing long-standing complaints by teachers over delayed certification and licensing processes.
She said the platform now enables candidates who sit for the Professional Qualifying Examination (PQE) to receive their results within one week and seamlessly process their certificates or licences online.
“We created a robust digital platform because many teachers complained that they wrote examinations years ago without receiving their certificates.
“With the portal, teachers can now access our services easily, making the entire process faster and more transparent,” she said.
Soyombo noted that the improved system had boosted participation in TRCN examinations, with candidates increasing from about 13,000 earlier in 2025 to 26,500 after the portal became operational.
She added that female participation had risen to 52.1 per cent, while registration for the forthcoming May PQE stood at 11,761 candidates.
The registrar, however, identified digital skills gaps in some states as a challenge, adding that the council was expanding support to ensure inclusiveness, especially for teachers in rural communities.
She further disclosed that TRCN had introduced career path assessment programmes to evaluate teachers’ competencies.
Soyombo also announced plans to establish a national criminal record database for teachers, in collaboration with security agencies, to strengthen child protection and safeguard schools.
She reaffirmed the council’s commitment to elevating the teaching profession and ensuring Nigerian teachers remain globally competitive.
“Our goal is to raise the profile of teachers and ensure they meet global professional standards, while also protecting Nigerian children through quality education delivery,” she said.
Addressing reports of a temporary disruption of the TRCN portal, Soyombo clarified that the platform experienced downtime for one week in December 2025 due to technical issues with a service provider.
She acknowledged challenges related to limited digital literacy and poor internet connectivity in some parts of the country, noting that teachers could still access services through TRCN state offices and designated desk officers in tertiary institutions.
Soyombo reiterated the council’s commitment to inclusive teacher regulation and continuous professional development nationwide.
“We are still a work in progress, but our focus is to ensure that every teacher, regardless of location, benefits from these reforms,” she said. (NAN)www.nannews.ng
Edited by Tosin Kolade
