In a landmark move to overhaul the nation’s tertiary admission landscape, the Federal Government has officially abolished the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) as a requirement for entry into Colleges of Education (NCE) and National Diploma (ND) Non-Technology Agriculture programmes nationwide.
The policy shift, announced by the Federal Ministry of Education, aims to dismantle restrictive barriers that have historically stifled enrollment in teacher education and agricultural development.
Broadening Access to Tertiary Education
The decision follows a high-level stakeholders’ meeting led by the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, on April 30, 2026. According to the Ministry, the move is a strategic response to the rising number of out-of-school adolescents and the declining participation in critical manpower sectors.
By removing the UTME bottleneck for these specific tracks, the government expects to see a significant surge in applications for NCE programmes and ND Non-Technology Agriculture courses in Polytechnics and specialized Colleges of Agriculture.
“This approval is part of Government’s efforts to address restrictive admission processes which has further contributed to the growing number of out-of-school adolescents and low participation in critical teacher education,” the Ministry stated.
JAMB and CAPS: The New Compliance Framework
Despite the removal of the examination requirement, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) remains the central regulatory authority. Prospective students are still required to purchase the JAMB application form and process their entries through the Central Admission Processing System (CAPS).
Under the new guidelines, candidates must upload their O’Level results on the JAMB portal to be eligible. The Ministry emphasized that all admission letters must be issued exclusively by JAMB, and any admission conducted outside the CAPS platform will be deemed illegal and void.
Grace Period for Existing Students
Recognizing that several institutions had previously admitted students outside the official portal, the government has approved a one-time retroactive condonement exercise.
This waiver applies strictly to NCE students in Years I and II during the 2025/2026 session. The registration window for this exercise will run from June 1st to August 30th, 2026. Provosts and Rectors have been directed to upload the details of affected students within this three-month window to ensure they are formally documented on the JAMB platform.
Enforcement and Monitoring
To ensure the integrity of the new policy, the Federal Ministry of Education will partner with JAMB, the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), and the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) for periodic monitoring.
Heads of tertiary institutions have been warned to immediately cease the issuance of internal admission letters, as the government seeks to centralize transparency and efficiency in the Nigerian education sector.
Read More About the Operational Guidelines and Timeline Here:
OPERATIONAL GUIDELINES FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NEW ADMISSION PROCESS
