The Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) says its digital portal is now working properly after a brief one-week outage in December caused by issues with its former developer, which has since been replaced.
Registrar of the council, Dr Ronke Soyombo, gave the clarification while addressing journalists in Abuja, following concerns raised by some teachers about alleged ongoing technical failures on the platform. She explained that the disruption was temporary and has since been resolved after the council migrated to a new service 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, stressing that the system has remained stable since then.
Dr Soyombo dismissed claims suggesting that the portal is still experiencing persistent failures, describing such reports as misleading and politically motivated. According to her, the council would not risk its core operations, especially examinations and certification processes, by operating an unreliable system.
“I would not announce an examination and have the portal down. That would be counterproductive,” she stated.
Despite the improved stability of the portal, the Registrar acknowledged that some teachers are still facing difficulties accessing the platform. She attributed this largely to limited digital literacy among users, rather than system failure.
“We still have teachers who cannot access the portal because of digital literacy issues. That is why our state offices remain open,” she explained.
To address these challenges, TRCN has continued to provide alternative access channels, including physical registration at its offices across different states. The council is also expanding support systems to ensure more teachers can use the platform without barriers.
Dr Soyombo highlighted ongoing efforts to improve inclusivity, especially for teachers in rural areas where internet access remains a challenge. These efforts include 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 key stakeholders such as the Nigeria Union of Teachers, state commissioners, and education administrators has played a significant role in expanding access and awareness.
“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.
Looking ahead, the council is working on introducing a mobile application to make access to its services easier and more convenient. According to the Registrar, the app is expected to be launched soon as part of broader efforts to modernise the platform.
“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 added.
On certification, Dr Soyombo reiterated that all individuals involved in teaching, regardless of level, must be registered with TRCN in line with its mandate.
“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 said.
