Federal Government has approved a comprehensive admission entry requirements for all tertiary institutions in Nigeria, Director of Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Education, Boriowo Folasade, has said.
The development is sequel to the approval of the National Guidelines for Entry Requirements into Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria.
The statement explained that the new policy, championed by the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, seeks to democratise access to tertiary education and empower Nigerian youths in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
It quoted Alausa as saying that “The policy represents a major stride in promoting inclusivity and driving national development through equitable education opportunities”.
The reform, he added became necessary after years of restrictive admission requirements that left many qualified candidates without placement despite meeting academic expectations.
While over two million candidates sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, annually, only about 700,000 secure admission , a gap he attributed to outdated and rigid entry rules rather than a lack of academic ability.
“This imbalance must give way to fairness and opportunity. Our goal is to ensure that capable and deserving candidates are not denied education because of obsolete policies”, the minister said.
The new National Guidelines update admission requirements across universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and Innovation Enterprise Academies, IEAs, while maintaining academic standards.
Universities: Minimum of five credit passes in relevant subjects, including English Language, in not more than two sittings. Mathematics remains compulsory for Science, Technology, and Social Science courses but is no longer compulsory for Arts students.
Polytechnics ,ND level; Minimum of four credit passes in relevant subjects, including English Language for non-science courses and Mathematics for science-related programmes.
Polytechnics ,HND level; Minimum of five credits, including English Language and Mathematics.
Colleges of Education ,NCE level; Minimum of four credits, with English compulsory for Arts and Social Sciences, and Mathematics required for Science, Vocational, and Technical programmes.
Colleges of Education ,B.Ed level; Minimum of five credits, including English Language and Mathematics, as applicable to the course of study.
Innovation Enterprise Academies: To adopt the same requirements as Polytechnics for National Diploma programmes.
Furthermore, the announced the abolition of the National Innovation Diploma, NID, previously awarded by IEAs, replacing it with the National Diploma, ND, to ensure uniformity and credibility across institutions.
Besides, National Board for Technical Education, NBTE, has been directed to re-accredit all IEAs nationwide to align with the new ND standards, warning that institutions that fail to meet full accreditation requirements will face de-accreditation.
The reform, Alausa said is expected to create room for an additional 250,000 to 300,000 students to gain admission annually.
“Our young people are the heartbeat of this nation. This reform ensures that every Nigerian youth has a fair chance to learn, grow, and succeed. We are equipping them with the education and skills they need to reach their full potential and contribute meaningfully to national development”, he stated.
