The Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria, TRCN, has refuted claims by the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, that the council was asking people holding its certificates to rewrite professional qualifying examination.

Registrar of TRCN, Prof Josiah Ajiboye, in a statement on Saturday, in Abuja, dismissed the claims, which were contained in a letter by the Senate President of NANS, Akinteye Babatunde.
Ajiboye explained that TRCN certificate is obtained once in a lifetime, adding that once the certificate is acquired, it is valid for life adding that, only TRCN license is renewable every three years, as it is being done in other professions.

Babatunde had, in a letter, incorrectly credited TRCN with a certificate renewal policy, raising concerns that it would further impoverish Nigerian teachers and lead to shortage of teachers as many may fail to renew their certificates.
Describing the alleged policy as draconian and insensitive, he had said it fails to take into account the status of an average Nigerian Student and the realities of Nigeria's present economy.

He had stated that reasons for non collection of certificates from TRCN within the year might vary, calling on the council to release all withheld certificates to their bearers and immediately expunge the alleged insensitive policy of its system.
Ajiboye responded that TRCN’s new policy is on validity of TRCN Professional Qualifying Examination results and not renewal of its certificates.

He disclosed that TRCN has noticed that many people who passed the exam failed to register immediately to collect their certificates noting that, Some who passed the exam for several years hold on to the results and refused to register.

According to him, Management of TRCN met late last year and directed its State Coordinators to inform all institutions and other stakeholders that TRCN results will now be valid for 1 year.