Education Revolution': Federal Government Scraps UTME and JAMB, Unveils Flexible New Entry Rules for Nigerian Tertiary Institutions

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​By Ruben Mario Brodrick 

​The Federal Government of Nigeria has enacted a sweeping and transformative reform aimed at drastically expanding access to tertiary education across the nation. In a move that eliminates years of centralized, high-stakes testing, the administration, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has banned the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and dissolved the mandate of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

​The Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, CON, championed this initiative as a core component of the administration's Renewed Hope Agenda, stating that the reform is designed to "democratize education" and empower Nigerian youth. Dr. Alausa highlighted the stark reality that while over two million candidates sit for the UTME annually, only about 700,000 secure admission, a gap he attributed not to candidate ability but to "outdated entry requirements that have restricted educational opportunities."

​Introducing the New National Admission Guidelines
​The newly approved National Guidelines for Entry Requirements into Nigerian Tertiary Institutions introduce a flexible yet rigorous framework to ensure fairness and maintain academic standards across all institution categories. This change is projected to create opportunities for an ** additional 250,000 to 300,000 students** to gain admission each year.

​The new requirements simplify and harmonize entry standards:
​Universities: Candidates must now secure a minimum of five (5) credit passes in relevant subjects, including English Language, obtained in not more than two sittings. Mathematics remains mandatory for all Science, Technology, and Social Science programs.

​Polytechnics (National Diploma - ND): The requirement is a minimum of four (4) credit passes. English Language is mandatory for non-science courses, and Mathematics is mandatory for science-related programs.
​Polytechnics (Higher National Diploma - HND): Candidates must secure five (5) credit passes in relevant subjects, including both English Language and Mathematics.

​Colleges of Education (NCE Level): A minimum of four (4) credit passes in relevant subjects is required. English Language is compulsory for Arts and Social Science courses, while Mathematics is required for Science, Vocational, and Technical programs.
​Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) Programs:

 The requirement is harmonized to a minimum of five (5) credit passes, including English Language and Mathematics, as applicable to the course of study.

​Reforming Technical and Vocational Training
​The reform extends significant changes to the vocational sector to ensure uniformity and enhance credibility:

​The Innovation Enterprise Academies (IEAs) are now mandated to adopt the same minimum requirements as polytechnics for the National Diploma (ND) program. Furthermore, the National Innovation Diploma (NID) program is officially abolished, with the previously issued National Industrial Diploma also being phased out and replaced with the universally recognized National Diploma (ND).

​To enforce this standardization, the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has been directed to re-accredit all IEAs nationwide. Institutions that fail to transition to full accreditation will face de-accreditation, a measure intended to strengthen credibility and enhance career progression for technical graduates.

​Dr. Alausa concluded that the harmonization of admission guidelines will significantly reduce the number of out-of-school youths and elevate Nigeria's tertiary education system to align with international best practices, making graduates more competitive globally. The Ministry reaffirmed that this policy is not just a reform but a "revolution" that places education at the heart of national renewal, ensuring that "no qualified Nigerian youth is left behind" in President Tinubu’s vision for national progress.

​Would you like me to focus on one specific aspect of this reform, like the implications for polytechnic admissions, in more detail?

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