The Federal Government has approved a comprehensive and flexible reform of admission entry requirements for all tertiary institutions in Nigeria, a move projected to increase the annual student intake from 700,000 to one million.
The policy, championed by the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, was unveiled on Tuesday by the Federal Ministry of Education and is designed to expand access to higher education by removing what the Minister described as “outdated and rigid entry rules.”
Dr. Alausa stated that the reform became necessary after years of restricted access that left many qualified candidates unable to secure admission. “Every year, over two million candidates sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), yet only about 700,000 gain admission. This imbalance is not due to a lack of ability but rather to outdated and overly stringent entry requirements,” he said.
Key Policy Changes Across Institutions
The revised National Guidelines for Entry Requirements apply to universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and Innovation Enterprise Academies (IEAs).
Mathematics Requirement Eased
Students seeking admission into Arts and Humanities programmes are no longer required to present a credit pass in Mathematics in their Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE). However, Mathematics remains mandatory for candidates pursuing courses in Science, Technology, and Social Sciences.
University Requirements
Universities will now require a minimum of five (5) credit passes in relevant subjects, including English Language, obtained in not more than two sittings.
Polytechnic Requirements
ND Level: Candidates must have a minimum of four (4) credit passes in relevant subjects, including English Language for non-science courses and Mathematics for science-related programmes.
HND Level: Candidates require a minimum of five (5) credit passes in relevant subjects, including both English Language and Mathematics.
Colleges of Education Requirements
NCE Level: Requires a minimum of four (4) credit passes in relevant subjects. English Language is mandatory for Arts and Social Science courses, while Mathematics is required for Science, Vocational, and Technical programmes.
B.Ed Level: Requires a minimum of five (5) credit passes, including English Language and Mathematics, as applicable to the course of study.
Standardization and Access
The reform is expected to create opportunities for an additional 250,000 to 300,000 students to gain admission yearly.
Additionally, the government announced the abolition of the National Innovation Diploma (NID).
Innovation Enterprise Academies (IEAs) must now adopt the same entry standards as Polytechnics for the National Diploma (ND) programme to ensure uniformity, credibility, and progression opportunities for graduates across the tertiary sector.
CULLED FROM VANGUARD
