The Chairman, Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) Governing Board, Dr. Saliu Mustapha, has emphasized that the Teacher’s Professional Qualifying Examination is a vital step in professionalizing and enhancing standards in Nigeria’s teaching profession.

Speaking while monitoring the May 2025 edition of the PQE at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) CBT centre in Abuja, Mustapha emphasized the importance of ensuring only qualified teachers are allowed in classrooms.

The Chairman highlighted ongoing reforms in the country’s education sector, revealing the Federal Ministry of Education’s efforts to create an IT-driven platform that will enable easy verification of teachers’ qualifications.

He stated that the platform aims to hold both teachers and schools accountable, allowing parents to check if their children’s teachers are properly certified by the TRCN to teach their children.

He noted that the initiative is part of a broader push by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, to weed out unqualified teachers using technology.

Dr. Mustapha lauded the smooth and successful conduct of the PQE across the country, applauding the large turnout of participants, while reiterating the importance of professional examinations like the PQE in upholding standards and improving the quality of education in Nigeria’s schools, especially in both public and private educational institutions.

On her part, the Acting Registrar of TRCN, Stella Nwokeocha, disclosed that over 13,700 candidates participated in the exercise, with 594 candidates at the Abuja centre alone.

She reported a largely hitch-free exercise, pointing out that adjustments had to be made in some states due to a clash with the rescheduled Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), leading to staggered exam dates for affected regions.

Similarly, the representative of the Minister of Education, Ismaila Adiatu, expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the examination, describing the process as impressive and well-organized.

In his remarks, the Director of Certification and Licensing, TRCN, Dr. Jacinta Ezeahurukwe, announced that the PQE results would be released within a week, following collation and management approval.

She, however, called for funding for the Council to effectively address operational challenges and sustain the quality of its regulatory functions.