The National Teachers Institute (NTI) has graduated a total of 58,320 students who have successfully completed the institute's academic and professional programmes from 2005 to 2011.

Giving a breakdown of the graduating students, Dr. AminuLadanSharehu said 13,382 completed postgraduate diploma in Education, 44,060 for Nigeria Certificate in Education and 878 in Advanced Diploma in Education.

Sharehu said the institute's programmes are handled by well trained professionals mainly using Open Distance Learning (ODE).

He said the institute adopted this mode because it is a major cost-effective alternative to education in Nigeria.

"It is also a means of taking education to the doorsteps of people," he said.

Sharehu said graduates of the institute can compete favourably with their counterparts that attend conventional schools because they use textbooks developed by TESSA, a professional body formed by 18 African countries.

He also said NTI had stepped up the Continuing Professional Development Programmes for primary school teachers by training over 40,000 teachers from 2009 to 2012 in over 20 states across the country. This he said would help address the deficit of qualified teachers in schools.

"There has also been an upward review (by 300%) of the allowances of course tutors and centre managers in the Institute's programmes with effect from 1st January 2010 to boost their morale," he said.

Sharehu however noted that the institute is facing a number of challenges some of which include inadequate funding.