By Shafi’u Yahaya
The National Centre Managers’ Forum of the National Teachers’ Institute (NTI), Kaduna, has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, to review the reported cancellation of NTI programmes and admissions for the 2026 academic session.
In an appeal dated November 7, 2026, the Forum expressed concern over an announcement by the Minister which, according to the organisation, indicated a possible termination of the academic aspirations of more than 21,000 Nigerians admitted into the Institute’s NCE and Degree programmes for the 2026 session.
The Forum acknowledged the Federal Government’s commitment to reforming the education sector but urged the authorities to consider the circumstances of students who had already secured admission and commenced their studies.
It noted that the National Teachers’ Institute had provided educational opportunities to Nigerians for more than 45 years, particularly those facing financial, occupational, family and geographical barriers to conventional education.
According to the Forum, many students applied for the 2026 session in good faith, received admission, completed registration, attended physical and virtual lectures, and sat for their first-semester examinations in August 2026.
It said the affected students chose NTI because of its flexible and relatively affordable learning arrangements, adding that they should not be made to bear the consequences of institutional or administrative shortcomings.
The Forum therefore called on the Federal Ministry of Education to reconsider the reported cancellation of the programmes and 2026 admissions, allowing students already admitted and registered to complete their studies.
It also urged the Institute to align its admission procedures, academic activities and operations with relevant regulatory and operational guidelines.
In addition, the Forum called for transitional arrangements to protect students who had already been admitted, registered, taught and assessed, while urging the Ministry and NTI management to engage relevant stakeholders, including the Centre Managers’ Forum, in finding a lasting solution.
The organisation stressed that its appeal was not an opposition to educational reforms or quality assurance but a call for fairness, justice and compassion in implementing policies that directly affect students.
It urged President Tinubu and the Minister of Education to intervene to prevent an abrupt disruption of the educational dreams of thousands of Nigerians who had invested time, resources and hope in their studies at the Institute.
The appeal was signed by the National Chairman of the Forum, Dr Tam Loveday Frank Jumbo, and its National Secretary, Dr Mamuda Inuwa Doguwa.