The Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria is developing an artificial intelligence-powered lesson system to generate classroom resources for teachers as part of efforts to modernise teaching and professional standards nationwide.

The initiative is being developed from standardised lesson plans the council is preparing in collaboration with selected teachers from public and private schools across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.

This was disclosed in a statement issued on Tuesday by GMind Academy following discussions between the organisation and TRCN on the adoption of AI across Nigeria’s education system.

According to the statement, the Registrar of TRCN, Dr Ronke Soyombo, said the standardised lesson plans would support teachers and provide the foundation for an AI-powered system capable of generating classroom materials.

The development comes as TRCN reviews its professional standards and regulatory framework to accommodate emerging technologies, particularly the increasing use of AI in education.

Soyombo, however, stressed that the deployment of technology in schools should support teachers rather than displace them.

“AI is here to support teaching, not replace teachers,” she said.

She explained that AI could assist teachers with lesson preparation and differentiated instruction, while educators would remain responsible for providing the human and emotional support required by learners.

The statement continued, “The Council is also developing standardised lesson plans through a collaboration involving leading teachers from public and private schools across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. Soyombo said the lesson plans would provide support for teachers while also forming the basis for an AI-powered system capable of generating classroom resources.”

The disclosure followed a meeting in Abuja on Monday between Soyombo and the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of GMind AI and founder of GMind Academy, Dr Success Ojo, during which both organisations discussed a potential partnership on AI adoption in education.

As part of the proposed collaboration, GMind Academy offered to train 774 AI Adoption Specialists free of charge, representing one specialist for each of Nigeria’s 774 local government areas.

The specialists are expected to serve as local AI adoption champions, assisting teachers, schools and other education stakeholders to understand and responsibly deploy artificial intelligence in teaching, learning and school administration.

“Our vision is simple. Every local government area should have someone equipped to help schools navigate AI,” Ojo said.

GMind said each participant would also receive two months of free access to its AI platform to acquire practical skills, experiment with AI applications and demonstrate their potential uses within schools.

According to the organisation, the nationwide initiative would build on its existing training programme, which has produced 684 AI specialists.

The proposed partnership would also expand AI training specifically for teachers through GMind Academy’s Certified AI-Ready Teacher programme.

The programme trains educators in the use of AI for teaching, learning, assessment and productivity, alongside responsible technology adoption.

Ojo proposed that teachers who complete the programme should be eligible for recognised professional development credits that would count towards their continuing professional development requirements, subject to TRCN approval and existing regulations.

According to the statement, such an arrangement could integrate AI competency into teachers’ continuing professional development rather than treating digital skills training as a one-off intervention.

Ojo said AI readiness should become another component of the ongoing transformation of Nigeria’s education system, while commending TRCN’s efforts in teacher registration, licensing, accreditation and continuous professional development.

Beyond AI, TRCN is also introducing changes to teacher certification, child protection and examination administration.

Soyombo disclosed that the council had incorporated child-protection and safeguarding certification into its Professional Qualifying Examination, making safeguarding training compulsory for prospective teachers seeking professional registration.

The council is also working with the Nigeria Police Force and other agencies to develop a criminal-records framework aimed at strengthening child protection in schools.

TRCN has equally introduced a toll-free reporting line to improve public access to the regulator and facilitate complaints concerning teachers and school safety.

On its examination system, the registrar said the council had expanded its digital testing infrastructure, with some centres now capable of accommodating up to 5,000 candidates simultaneously.

This represents a significant increase from the previous capacity of about 120 candidates per examination session.

The upgraded examination platform also incorporates remote-proctoring technology as TRCN moves more of its professional certification processes online.

The council is simultaneously implementing its Accelerated Teacher Professionalisation Pathway to enable more teachers to meet licensing requirements as enforcement of professional registration rules is strengthened.

GMind said the proposed partnership with TRCN would take practical AI expertise beyond technology professionals and embed it within education communities, including schools outside major urban centres.

If implemented, the 774-specialist programme would establish an AI adoption network covering every local government area in the country, providing teachers and schools with local support as the education sector responds to the opportunities and risks associated with artificial intelligence. (The PUNCH)