The Registrar, Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), Prof. Josiah Ajiboye says over 2.3 million Nigerian teachers have now been registered in the database of the Teachers Information System database.

Ajiboye who was represented by the Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, in the council, Mr Lawrence Ugo-Ali, stated this during a One-Day Capacity Building Workshop for members of the Education Correspondents’ Association of Nigeria (ECAN) in Abuja on Thursday.

He lamented that the challenge with Nigerian education was largely attributed to poor teaching, where experienced professional teachers who are highly committed are no where to be found near the classrooms.

The registrar added that the council had also put in place digital literacy training and remote learning for 22,500 teachers across 16 states in the country to enhance the teaching profession.

He, therefore, charged ECAN to sustain its collaborative efforts at transforming the teaching profession in Nigeria.

Also speaking, the President, Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU), Dr Smart Olugbeko, said that poor implementation of policies was hindering teacher education in the country.

Olugbeko spoke on the topic:’Evaluating Federal Government’s Role in Sustaining Quality Teacher Development and Improved Welfare’.

He listed policies such as funding policies, recruitment policies, quality assurance policies and training policies, among others as factors limiting the growth of the education sector.

”Funding policies has been a serious problem the education sector is faced with. In Nigeria, we need the funding policies to address some of the problems.

He charged leaders to do away with the politicisation of education leading to the springing up of tertiary institutions without adequate funding policies, while concentrating on adequate welfare for teachers.

In his remarks, the Chairman of ECAN, Mr Chuks Ukwuatu, said proper teacher education was a key tool required by professionals in the teaching profession to excel in a dynamic global community.

The theme is ”Strengthening Teacher Education: Challenges and Opportunities in Basic Education Sub-Sector in Nigeria”.