FG reviews tertiary admission guidelines — mathematics no longer compulsory for humanities
The federal government has approved a comprehensive reform of admission entry requirements into all tertiary institutions in Nigeria as part of efforts to expand access and promote inclusive education.
According to a statement issued on Monday by Boriowo Folasade, director of press and public relations at the federal ministry of education, the reform is aimed at removing outdated barriers that have limited opportunities for millions of qualified candidates seeking tertiary education.
Folasade said the new policy, approved by President Bola Tinubu and driven by Tunji Alausa, the minister of education, is a major step in advancing the renewed hope agenda and ensuring fairness and equity in the education system.
“Every year, over two million candidates sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), yet only about 700,000 gain admission,” the statement reads.
“This imbalance is not due to a lack of ability but rather to outdated and overly stringent entry requirements,” Alausa was quoted as saying.
Under the revised national guidelines for entry requirements into Nigerian tertiary institutions, the government has streamlined the minimum academic qualifications for admission into universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and innovation enterprise academies (IEAs).
For universities, the new standard requires a minimum of five credit passes in relevant subjects, including English Language, obtained in not more than two sittings, with Mathematics mandatory for science, technology, and social science courses.
At the polytechnic level, candidates seeking admission into the National Diploma (ND) programme must have at least four credit passes in relevant subjects, including English Language for non-science courses and Mathematics for science-related programmes.
For higher national diploma (HND), a minimum of five credits, including English and Mathematics, is required.
Similarly, colleges of education (NCE) will now require four credit passes, with English compulsory for arts and social science courses and mathematics for science, vocational, and technical programmes. The B.Ed. level requires a minimum of five credits, including English and mathematics.
The innovation enterprise academies (IEAs) will now adopt the same standards as polytechnics for their National Diploma programmes, while the national innovation diploma (NID) has been abolished.
Folasade added that the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has commenced re-accrediting all IEAs nationwide to align with the new ND standards. Institutions that fail to transition will lose accreditation.
The reform, she noted, is expected to create opportunities for between 250,000 and 300,000 additional students to gain admission into tertiary institutions annually, helping to reduce the number of out-of-school youths and strengthen vocational and technical education in the country.
“This initiative reflects the government’s firm commitment to ensuring that every Nigerian youth has a fair chance to learn, grow, and succeed,” she said.
Folasade reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to inclusive education, human capital development, and youth empowerment, in line with President Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda.
