By Gabriel Ameh
Abuja — Media360Impact Report
The Federal Ministry of Education has announced the removal of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) requirement for candidates seeking admission into Nigerian Certificate in Education (NCE) programmes and National Diploma (ND) non-technology agriculture-related courses across the country.
The new policy will take effect from the 2026/2027 academic session.
According to the Ministry, the decision was approved after a stakeholders’ meeting convened by the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, as part of efforts to expand access to tertiary education and reduce barriers limiting admission opportunities for young Nigerians.
The government explained that the move is aimed at increasing enrolment in teacher education and agriculture-related programmes, while also addressing the growing number of out-of-school youths nationwide.
Under the new arrangement, candidates applying for admission into Colleges of Education and ND non-technology agriculture-related programmes in polytechnics and colleges of agriculture will no longer be required to sit for the UTME.
However, the Ministry clarified that applicants must still obtain admission forms through the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board and process admissions through the Central Admission Processing System (CAPS).
It added that all candidates must upload their O’Level results on the JAMB portal before they can be considered for admission, while existing minimum admission requirements remain valid.
The Ministry further stressed that admission letters for the affected programmes would continue to be issued solely by JAMB after verification and compliance procedures.
According to the government, the policy reflects its commitment to making higher education more accessible, especially in critical sectors such as teaching and agriculture which are considered vital for national development.
The Federal Government also approved a one-time condonement exercise for NCE students admitted outside the CAPS platform during the 2025/2026 academic session.
The exercise will run from June 1 to August 30, 2026, and will cover eligible students progressing from Year One to Year Two, as well as those moving from Year Two to Year Three.
Affected Colleges of Education have been directed to upload details of such students on the JAMB portal within the approved timeframe for proper regularisation and documentation.
The Ministry warned that any admission conducted outside CAPS going forward would be regarded as illegal and invalid.
Provosts, rectors, and principal officers of affected institutions were also directed to immediately stop issuing independent admission letters outside the JAMB system.
The government assured that compliance monitoring exercises would continue nationwide to ensure full implementation of the policy.
