Plan International Trains, Inducts 359 Borno Certified Teachers

Plan International Nigeria, through its education programming in Borno State, funded by ECHO and in collaboration with CASFOD, has trained 359 teachers from vulnerable local government areas, who were inducted by the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) on Thursday after passing their certification examination.

Speaking during the TRCN Induction/Certification and Licensing ceremony held at Indimi International Conference Hall, University of Maiduguri, the Director, Programme Quality and Influencing, Plan International Nigeria, Dr Helen Idiong, said the NGO and partners have continued to support efforts to strengthen teacher quality and improve learning outcomes in conflict-affected communities.

She said this work aligns with ongoing national reforms to professionalise the teaching workforce and ensure that every child is taught by a qualified, licensed, and competent teacher.

Idiong recalled that on 11 September 2025, the Federal Government of Nigeria, through the Ministry of Education, announced that by 2027, no teacher would be permitted to teach in a Nigerian classroom without being registered and licensed by the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN).

She said this policy direction has reinforced the urgency of accelerating teacher certification, particularly in underserved and crisis-affected areas where the shortage of professionally certified teachers remains significant.

“A joint field review conducted under the project, in collaboration with the Borno State Ministry of Education and the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), showed that a high proportion of teachers in project-supported schools across Damboa, Kala-Balge, and Mobbar Local Government Areas had not yet been certified by TRCN.

“While ongoing coaching, mentoring, and teacher support have strengthened instructional delivery, certification remained a critical gap in advancing national teaching standards and long-term quality assurance. In response, 359 teachers from these three Local Government Areas, who successfully passed the TRCN Professional Qualifying Examination (PQE), were formally inducted, certified, and licensed during this one-day ceremony”, she said.

She said the project also aims to recognise and motivate teachers serving in conflict-affected communities, strengthen the quality of teaching and learning across project-supported locations, and reinforce collaboration among TRCN, government education authorities, and partners to advance teacher quality and safer learning futures in Borno State.

The head of programme, CASFOD, Jibrin Kolo, said during the day’s event that they are formally inducting 359 teachers who underwent training with support from Plan International, funded by the European Union, adding that ECHO funded the project.

He commended the federal government of Nigeria, the Borno State government and the Director General of ECHO for the success of the project.

The Director of Certification, TRCN, Okuola Abimbola Ahmed, described the induction as a milestone in the lives of the inductees who attended the programme, noting that induction is very important in all noble professions.

He urged the newly certified teachers to shun acts such as sexual abuse, examination malpractice and anything against the ethics of the teaching profession to avoid their certificates being withdrawn.

A participant from the Damboa local government area, Godiya Ishaku, said she had sat for the TRCN certificate examination three times without success, but passed it after the training and support from Plan International and partners.

Godiya noted that when teachers are trained, the impact would be felt by learners.

Also, Sheriff Bashir from Mobbar local government area said the training exposed them to areas they lacked, such as computer literacy and teaching methodology.

Similarly, Baba Mala from the Damboa local government area, who also said he had sat for the TRCN examination three times without success, commended Plan International for providing the support and training that enabled him to pass the examination and become a certified teacher.