Section 9: Approval of qualification

(1) The Council may approve any institution for the purposes of this Act and may for those purposes, approve –
(a) any course of training at an approved institution which is intended for persons who are seeking to become or are already members of the Institute and which the Council considers is designed to confer on persons completing it, sufficient knowledge and skill for admission to the Institute;
(b) any qualification which, as a result of an examination taken in conjunction with a course of training approved by the Council under this section, is granted to candidates reaching a standard at the examination, indicating, in the opinion of the Council, that the candidate has sufficient knowledge and skill to practice as a professional secretarial staff.
(2) The Council may, if it deems fit, withdraw any approval given under this section in respect of any course, qualification or institution, but before withdrawing such an approval, the Council shall —
(a) give notice that it proposes to withdraw the approval to each person in Nigeria appearing to the Council to be a person by whom the course is conducted, the qualification is granted, or the institution is controlled, as the case may be;
(b) afford such person an opportunity of making to the Council representations with regards to the proposal; and
(c) take into consideration any representation made in respect of the proposal under paragraph (b).
(3) With regards to any period during which the approval of the Council under this section for a course, qualification or institution is withdrawn, the course, qualification or institution shall not be treated as approved under this section but the withdrawal of the approval shall not prejudice the registration or eligibility for registration of any person who, by virtue of the approval, was registered or eligible for registration, either unconditionally or subject to his obtaining a certificate or experience, immediately before the approval was withdrawn.
(4) The giving or withdrawal of an approval under this section shall have effect from the date of the execution of the instrument and the Council shall —
(a) publish, as soon as possible, a copy of every such instrument in the Federal Government Gazette; and
(b) not later than seven days before its publication, send a copy of the instrument to the Minister responsible for Education.