Section 8: Approval of qualifications and training institutions.

(1) Subject to subsection (2), the Council may approve for the purpose of section 7-
(a) any course of training which is intended for persons who are seeking to become, or are already qualified as, Professional Counsellors;
(b) any institution, either in Nigeria or elsewhere which the Council, on the recommendations of the Association, considers properly organised and equipped for conducting the whole or any part of a course of training approved by the Council under this section; and
(c) any qualification which, as a result of 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 they have sufficient knowledge and skills to practise counselling as a profession.
(2) The Council shall publish in the Federal Government Gazette a list of qualifications of Professional Counsellors approved by it and the Council shall not approve, for the purpose of subsection (1), qualifications granted by an institution unless the qualifications have been so published by the Council.
(3) The Council shall, on the recommendation of the Association, withdraw any approval given under this section in respect of any course, qualifications or institution, but before withdrawing the approval the Council shall -
(a) give notice that it proposes to do so 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; and
(b) give such a person an opportunity of making to the Council, representations with regard to the proposal under paragraph (a).
(4) A period during which the approval of the Council under this section for a course qualification or institution is withdrawn, the course qualification or institution shall not be treated as approved under this section but the withdrawal of such an approval shall not prejudice the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person who by virtue of the approval was registered or eligible for registration immediately before the approval was withdrawn.
(5) The giving or withdrawal of an approval under this section, shall have the effect from the date, before or after the execution of the instrument signifying the giving or withdrawal of the approval, as the Council may specify in the instrument, and the Council shall-
(a) immediately publish a copy of every such instrument in the Federal Government Gazette and supervise instructions and examination leading to approved qualifications; and
(b) not later than seven days before its publication, send a copy of the instrument to the Minister.