WorldStage– The Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) has uncovered 250 forged teaching certificates during a state recruitment exercise, prompting the regulatory body to roll out Quick Response (QR)-coded certificates and stricter digital verification protocols.
TRCN Chief Executive and Registrar Dr Ronke Soyombo announced the discovery on Thursday while monitoring the ongoing computer-based Professional Qualifying Examination (PQE) at Redeemer’s TEAP International School in Abuja.
She revealed that the fraudulent credentials were detected during a screening process in which an undisclosed state sought to hire approximately 1,000 teachers.
Warning that forged documents pose a severe threat to educational standards, Soyombo stated that the council is determined to flush unqualified individuals out of Nigerian classrooms.
To curb credential forgery, TRCN now issues certificates embedded with QR codes.
These codes link employers directly to the council’s online portal, enabling instant authentication of candidate credentials before any employment offer is finalised.
Beyond credential verification, Soyombo noted that TRCN has tightened examination integrity by deploying randomised, qualification-differentiated questions.
This measure ensures that PhD, first-degree, and Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) holders sitting beside one another cannot engage in examination malpractice during testing.
The digital crackdown aligns with a broader Federal Government mandate backed by the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa.
Under this initiative, the government aims to license 75 per cent of Nigerian teachers by the end of 2026 and achieve 100 per cent certification before any practitioner enters a classroom by December 2027.
Soyombo emphasised that an academic degree alone does not qualify an individual to teach without proven competence in pedagogy, child safeguarding, and digital literacy.
Additionally, she noted that past PQE assessments exposed widespread weaknesses in mathematics among teachers nationwide, prompting the council to design targeted training programmes with relevant education agencies.
Digital reforms have already boosted teacher registration, which doubled from 13,000 in May 2025 to 26,000 in November 2025.
Currently, 21,000 candidates are sitting for the 2026 PQE across the country and are expected to receive their digital results within seven days.
Soyombo urged candidates to shun fraudulent shortcuts, reiterating that the council will sustain its technological reforms to protect Nigerian school children and elevate teaching standards nationwide.
