Experts say NCE entry waiver won’t fix Nigeria’s teacher crisis

The federal government’s decision to waive admission requirements for the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) programme has sparked debate among education stakeholders, with critics arguing that the policy contradicts ongoing efforts to improve teacher quality.

While the waiver is intended to boost enrolment into teacher-training institutions and address shortages in the education sector, concerns persist that lowering entry standards could undermine the competence and professionalism of future teachers.

Stanley Alaubi, senior lecturer at the University of Port Harcourt, believes the reason Nigeria is grappling with a teacher quality crisis is not NCE students having to sit for the UTME, but purely the condition of service.

“Let the government improve the welfare package of teachers and see how thousands, if not millions, would troop into the teaching industry,” he said.

According to the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), 33.3 percent of Nigeria’s basic school teachers are unqualified, and this underscores the measure of challenges in the education system.

UBEC report for 2022/23 indicates that only 70.8 percent of basic education teachers meet the required qualifications. This leaves 492,912 teachers without proper credentials across the country.

Data from UBEC shows that the South West zone records the lowest proportion of qualified teachers, with just 66.34 percent, but the highest absolute number of unqualified teachers at 140,824.

The North Central has the highest share of qualified teachers at 74.78 percent, followed by the South East at 72.39 percent, North West at 72.04 percent, and North East at 71.41 percent, while the South South trails at 69.81 percent.

In terms of numbers, the North West has 95,833 unqualified teachers, North Central 81,636, South South 72,728, North East 53,938 and South East 47,953.

The federal government, in its quest to address this gap, unveiled plans to increase admission into the NCE programme to 1.5 million candidates through a proposed exemption from the UTME.

However, what Tunji Alausa, the minister of education, did not explain is how this will boost teacher quality and career attraction, as many trained teachers jump ship to other professions with better prospects.

Stanley Boroh, an associate professor at Federal University, Otuoke, emphasised that the teacher quality gap has nothing to do with admission waivers.

“The federal government is mopping the floor and not fixing the leaking roof. The condition of service for teachers is very poor, and that’s what should be addressed to make it competitive and attract the best brains.

“Teaching is the mother of all professions, and they should be rewarded well in terms of remuneration and welfare of staff,” he said.

Similarly, Jessica Osuere, the CEO at RubiesHub Educational Service, said increasing teacher enrolment alone will not and cannot solve Nigeria’s teacher quality crisis.

“The real issue is not necessarily admission into NCE programmes but the attractiveness of the teaching profession itself. Is the teaching profession in Nigeria attractive? Certainly, NO. Even though waiving UTME may increase the number of entrants into the profession, that will not guarantee quality, and quantity should never be mistaken for quality.

“No nation can develop above the quality of its teachers. Teachers shape the future of a nation, so the profession should attract some of the best minds, not become a last-resort option with lowered entry expectations. We cannot keep lowering the bar when it comes to the teaching profession and expect high-flying education for our children,” she stressed.

Osuere maintained that countries with strong education systems, such as Finland and others, make teaching highly competitive, well-respected, and adequately rewarded.

“Many Nigerians are not avoiding teaching because of admission challenges; they are discouraged by poor remuneration, limited career progression, inadequate working conditions, and low societal esteem for the profession.

“If the government truly wants to address the teacher quality gap, it should focus on making teaching more attractive, professionally rewarding, and competitive enough to retain highly capable individuals. Quality teachers, not just more teachers, are what Nigeria urgently needs,” she emphasised.

Salary Expert 2026 report shows that an entry-level primary school teacher in Finland with 1-3 years of experience earns an average salary of €33 804 (about N53.1million).

On the other end, a senior-level primary school teacher (8+ years of experience) earns an average salary of €52 522 (about N82.5 million).

While in Nigeria, teachers are also among the lowest-paid professionals in the country. A graduate public-school teacher in some states earns as little as N70,000 per month, which is roughly €44.6 to €50.

Besides, in Finland, the teaching profession is not an all-comers’ affair. To be a primary school teacher in Finland, one must have undergone a five-year master’s degree in primary school teaching.

Teaching in Finland is a choice profession, unlike in Nigeria, where applicants are forced to study education programmes, as the profession is not lucrative.

The competitiveness of the teacher education programmes illustrates the desirability of the teaching profession in Finland, which helps ensure that the best students become teachers.

Mercy Nnokam, a teacher, emphasised that many teachers are unable to cope with their salaries because of the rising cost of living.

“A lot of teachers find the work so stressful because they don’t have adequate resources to deliver subject content, hence they struggle to deliver.

“Many parents are encouraging their children against teaching due to poor working conditions, hence the reason for low applications into the education faculty, and graduates are not willing to end up in the classroom,” she said.

Elizabeth Ohaka, proprietress of Redwood Academy, said the teaching profession is not as attractive, and that is why Nigeria has been having a teacher quality crisis in recent times.

“Our youths prefer signing up for remote jobs, even teaching online, to an 8-5 in a school with all the attendant stressors.

“I think waiving UTME for NCE is a surface-level solution. When these students complete their programmes, they may still not pursue a teaching career if conditions of service continue to be unfavourable,” she said.