The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has commenced the registration of candidates seeking admission into Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) programmes offered by Colleges of Education, as well as applicants pursuing non-technology National Diploma (ND) courses in agriculture and related disciplines.
The Board announced that candidates applying under these categories are no longer required to sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
In a statement issued on Thursday, JAMB’s Public Communication Advisor, Fabian Benjamin, explained that eligible candidates who possess the required O’Level qualifications can now complete their registration at any Institutional Professional Registration Centre (IPRC) located within Colleges of Education or at any accredited JAMB Professional Registration Centre (PRC) across the country.
Benjamin stated that the exercise follows the Federal Government’s policy exempting candidates seeking admission into NCE programmes and non-technological agriculture-related ND courses from writing the UTME.
He noted that JAMB has established an admission framework to ensure that the exemption does not compromise the quality or credibility of admissions into the affected programmes.
According to him, the Board remains responsible for ensuring that only qualified applicants gain admission through a structured screening and verification process.
“Under this policy, eligible candidates only need to visit any designated IPRC or JAMB PRC with their O’Level credentials to complete their registration. There is no requirement to sit for the annual UTME,” Benjamin said.
He encouraged qualified candidates to take advantage of the opportunity by registering promptly at any of the designated centres nationwide.
Benjamin further disclosed that candidates who initially participated in the 2026 UTME but later decided to pursue NCE or non-technological agricultural programmes would be allowed to convert their applications without paying any additional fee.
He explained that the conversion process would also be carried out at designated registration centres across the country.
According to him, the policy is intended to broaden access to teacher education and agriculture-based programmes while ensuring that admission standards remain intact.
The development follows an earlier announcement made by the Federal Government in May, introducing the exemption for candidates applying to Colleges of Education.
Speaking during the 2026 admission policy meeting held in Abuja, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, said prospective students seeking admission into Colleges of Education would no longer be required to write the UTME.
The minister explained that candidates who possess at least four credit passes in relevant O’Level subjects would qualify for admission consideration without sitting for the entrance examination.
He, however, clarified that all eligible applicants would still be required to register with JAMB for proper screening, credential verification and certification before admission letters are processed through the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS).
Alausa also extended the exemption to candidates applying for National Diploma programmes in non-technology agriculture and agriculture-related fields.
He explained that the initiative was introduced to encourage greater enrolment into programmes considered vital to national development, particularly teacher education and agriculture.
Despite the government’s position, the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) expressed reservations over the policy.
The union warned that if not carefully implemented, the exemption could negatively affect the quality of teacher education and weaken professionalism within the teaching profession.
