The Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) has announced major reforms to professionalize teaching and improve global mobility, and child protection. Key measures include compulsory licensing for all teachers by end-2027, international recognition of Nigerian teaching licenses through memberships in AFTRA and IFTRA (enabling work in countries like the UK and Australia), and a criminal records database developed with the police to bar convicted sexual offenders from schools. TRCN Registrar, Dr Aderonke Soyombo unveiled these at the 4th Digital Educators Conference in Lagos, organized by ReadManna Empowerment Initiative. Additional reforms include a 6-month Accelerated Teacher Professionalization Pathway for non-education graduates to earn PGDE and qualify for licensing, mandatory renewal of licenses every three years via continuous professional development, and updated Teachers’ Standards with safeguarding as a core exam competency.
Also at the conference, GTBank pioneer CEO Fola Adeola stressed that digital fluency is now foundational to effective teaching, given that students routinely use AI and online tools ahead of classroom instruction. He urged educators to adopt digital skills to personalize learning, expand opportunities, and reduce inequities. Ogun State’s Education Commissioner Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu showcased his state’s digital education model: over 4,750 teachers trained in IC3, 150+ Microsoft Certified Educators, and rollout of the AI-driven OneLearn platform that auto-generates curriculum-aligned lesson plans and resources for teachers and learners anywhere. Ogun’s data systems have stopped more than 40,000 fraudulent exam registrations and are being emulated nationally. ReadManna founder Edna Agusto advocated for globally recognized ICT certifications (Microsoft, Adobe, IC3) over informal training, citing 50,000 certifications since 2009 and consistent Nigerian success at international Microsoft competitions.
