The Federal Government has announced a sweeping overhaul of entry requirements for Nigerian tertiary institutions, most notably removing Mathematics as a compulsory subject for candidates seeking admission into Faculties of Arts across all universities.
The revised National Guidelines for Entry Requirements, released on Tuesday, is part of a reform package designed to open up access to higher education for hundreds of thousands of Nigerian youths, the government said.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Education spokesperson, Folasade Boriowo, the new rule is designed to “remove barriers, democratise access to tertiary education and empower Nigerian youths.”
The new framework applies to all tertiary levels, including universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and Innovation Enterprise Academies (IEAs). The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, stated that years of restricted access made the reform necessary.
Minister Alausa pointed to the high number of qualified candidates who were blocked from securing spots: “Every year, over two million candidates sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), yet only about 700,000 gain admission.”
The Ministry expects the reform to significantly boost admission numbers. The statement notes: “The reform is a deliberate effort to expand access to tertiary education, creating opportunities for an additional 250,000 to 300,000 students to be admitted to our Tertiary Institutions each year.”
It added that this push is based on fundamental principles of opportunity: “It reflects a firm commitment to ensuring that every Nigerian youth has a fair chance to learn, grow, and succeed, putting the Renewed Hope Agenda into action.”
Key Requirement Changes
While the prerequisite of a minimum of five credit passes (in not more than two sittings) remains, a credit in English Language is still mandatory for all.
Under the new guidelines:
- Universities: Mathematics is still mandatory for Science, Technology, and Social Science courses, but it is no longer required for Arts.
- Polytechnics (ND Level): Mathematics is mandatory for science-related programmes but not for non-science courses.
- Colleges of Education (NCE Level): English Language is mandatory for Arts and Social Science courses, while Mathematics is required only for Science, Vocational, and Technical programs.
Diploma Programmes Streamlined
In addition to academic subject changes, the reform simplifies technical qualifications. The National Industrial Diploma (NID), previously issued by IEAs, is being phased out and will be replaced with the National Diploma (ND) to ensure uniformity and credibility.
The government is ensuring compliance: “The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) is currently re-accrediting all IEAs nationwide to align with the new ND standards. Institutions that fail to transition to full accreditation will be de-accredited,” the statement confirmed.
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