Juliet Ezeh
The Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) has assured teachers and stakeholders that its digital portal is now stable and fully functional following a brief disruption in December.
Registrar of the council, Ronke Soyombo, gave the assurance while addressing journalists in Abuja on Thursday, amid concerns raised by some teachers over alleged persistent technical issues affecting the platform.
Soyombo explained that the portal experienced downtime for only one week in December due to issues with its former service provider, noting that the situation was promptly resolved after the council disengaged the developer and migrated to a new provider.
“In December, we had some issues with the developer, so our portal was down for one week. We resolved it and switched to another developer,” she said.
She dismissed reports of ongoing failures as misleading and politically motivated, insisting that the portal has remained stable since the incident.
The Registrar emphasised the council’s commitment to operational efficiency and revenue generation, stating that it would be counterproductive to schedule examinations while operating a faulty system.
“As much as I am an educationist, I also have a responsibility to generate revenue for government. Every agency is expected to remit 50 per cent. I would not announce an examination and have the portal down. That would be counterproductive,” she added.
However, Soyombo acknowledged that some teachers still face challenges accessing the portal due to limited digital literacy.
To address this, she said the council has continued to provide alternative options, including physical registration at state offices nationwide.
“We still have teachers who cannot access the portal because of digital literacy issues. That is why our state offices remain open. At no time in January was the portal down,” she said.
On improving inclusivity, particularly for teachers in rural areas with poor internet connectivity, Soyombo highlighted ongoing interventions such as the deployment of help desk officers in tertiary institutions, mobile outreach programmes in selected states, and sensitisation campaigns in underserved communities.
She noted that collaboration with stakeholders, including the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), state commissioners, and education administrators, has been key to expanding access.
“We are not fully there yet, it is still a work in progress. But we are making efforts to ensure inclusivity and reach teachers in rural areas,” she said.
On plans to enhance accessibility, the Registrar disclosed that the council is working towards launching a mobile application by the end of April.
“By the end of April, we intend to introduce an app that will make access more convenient for users. We will also consider offline integration as suggested,” she said.
Reiterating the council’s regulatory mandate, Soyombo stressed that all individuals engaged in teaching—from early childhood to tertiary level—must be registered and certified by TRCN.
“Whether you teach children or adults, you must be certified. The minimum qualification is the Nigeria Certificate in Education or a degree with relevant education training such as a postgraduate diploma in education,” she noted.
Juliet Ezeh is the founder and chief reporter at Westbridge Reporters with over 7 years of experience in journalism. She covers crime, industry, policy, and social developments, delivering timely and accurate reporting.