The prolonged delay in the release of certificates by the National Teachers’ Institute (NTI) has left some graduates struggling to secure jobs, obtain promotions and complete retirement processes years after finishing their programmes.
Graduates from NTI study centres in Ibadan, Lagos and Kaduna told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan on Monday that the inability to obtain their original certificates had become a major obstacle to their careers.
For some, the delay has meant missing employment opportunities, while others said they had been unable to progress in their careers or process retirement and pension benefits because they could not produce the required credentials.
Njoku Sylvester, an NTI graduate from Kaduna, said he lost his job at a private school because he could not produce his original certificate.
Sylvester said the situation had remained a major setback since 2018, particularly for graduates who needed their certificates for promotion examinations.
He said some of his colleagues had also retired without obtaining the certificates required to process their career and retirement benefits.
“Having paid and stressed ourselves to that point and we are still having issues today; repeated approaches to the institute had yielded little relief,” he said.
Bamidele Akinde, an NTI graduate who works with the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board, said she completed her programme in 2018 but was yet to receive her certificate.
Akinde said the delay had affected her promotion at work, despite completing the programme several years ago.
She said she and other affected graduates had made several attempts to resolve the matter but had not received satisfactory explanations from the institute.
“Some affected graduates have suffered demotion, retirement-related difficulties and in some cases, death, yet the issue has yet to be resolved,” she said.
“Some were selected and given their certificates but we don’t know how the selection was made.”
Another graduate from the Ibadan study centre, Ismaila Oyewole, said the delay had affected his retirement process after he was asked to produce his NTI certificate.
Oyewole, who said he completed his programme in 2017, said an accreditation letter issued to him was rejected when he presented it during the retirement process.
He said the delay had also affected the commencement of his pension payments because he needed the certificate to complete the necessary processing.
He said he had continued to wait for the release of his result and certificate to enable him to conclude the process.
Olasumbo Ogundairo, another NTI graduate from Ibadan, said affected students had repeatedly been assured that their certificates would soon be released.
She said some students spent between three and four years on their programmes and paid more than ₦300,000, only to graduate without receiving their certificates.
“This is a nationwide issue NTI has, and more than 3,000 graduates have been affected so far,” Ogundairo said.
She also alleged that some certificates that had already been issued contained errors in matriculation numbers, names and years of course completion.
According to her, affected graduates also need their certificates and NYSC exclusion letters released, with errors corrected where necessary.
NTI blames affiliation arrangements
Responding to the complaints, Anuoluwapo Oyinlola, Oyo State coordinator of NTI, said the certificate issue was not limited to Oyo State or the South-West.
Oyinlola explained that the institute was categorising affected programmes and graduates according to their affiliations and the institutions responsible for processing the certificates.
She said some certificates were being processed through the University of Maiduguri, while certificates for earlier programmes were being obtained through the National Open University.
“The affiliation arrangements has contributed to the delay in processing the certificates,” she said.
“Efforts are ongoing to clear the backlog, because 608 certificates have already been released.”
Oyinlola expressed optimism that the outstanding certificates would be released by October, saying the authorities were working to resolve the issue.
She said the institute had issued notifications of results and attestations to some graduates who had completed their programmes.
“We have given notifications of results to those who have graduated and attestation,” she said.
The coordinator appealed to affected graduates to accept attestation letters where necessary while the certificate backlog was being addressed.
On allegations that students campaigning for the release of their certificates were being victimised or threatened with carryovers, Oyinlola dismissed the claims and urged affected graduates to remain calm.
She assured them that errors and other outstanding issues would be addressed.
