Candidates seeking admission into Nigeria Certificate in Education programmes will no longer be required to sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, following a new policy introduced by the Federal Government.
The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, announced the decision on Monday during the 2026 policy meeting organised by Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board in Abuja.
Under the new arrangement, applicants seeking admission into Colleges of Education will only need a minimum of four O’Level credit passes to qualify for admission into NCE programmes.
According to the minister, the policy is aimed at reducing pressure on candidates and simplifying the admission process while encouraging more young Nigerians to embrace the teaching profession.
Alausa explained that although candidates would no longer sit for UTME, they must still register with JAMB for documentation, screening, and admission processing through the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS).
The exemption, he added, will also apply to candidates seeking admission into National Diploma programmes in non-technology agricultural and agriculture-related courses.
“This approach strikes a balance between expanding access and maintaining the credibility of the admission process,” the minister said, noting that the move is expected to boost enrolment in teacher education and agriculture-related fields considered vital to national development.
The new policy is expected to take effect from next year.
Alausa also stressed the government’s commitment to digital education reforms, saying computer-based testing and digital learning skills are now becoming unavoidable in modern education.
He said schools and higher institutions are being encouraged to integrate digital literacy, artificial intelligence, and emerging technologies into their teaching systems to better prepare students for today’s economy.
The announcement came on the same day JAMB retained 150 as the minimum admission cut-off mark for universities for the 2026/2027 academic session.
