…Reform will expand access to higher education – Minister
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 This imbalance is not due to lack of ability but outdated and overly stringent entry requirements that must give way to fairness and opportunity– Alausa
By Olawale Lamina
Henceforward, Nigerian senior secondary school students in arts and humanities will have the privilege of escaping a credit in mathmatics in their Senior School Certificate Examination, organised by the West African Examination Council, WAEC, and the National Examination Council, NECO, as a condition for admission into universities and polytechnics, the Federal Ministry of Education announced on Tuesday.
By this development, admission seekers in arts and humanities, who for years have been mandated to possess five credits, including mathematics and English language, will heave a sigh of relief as their counterparts in sciences must compulsorily have credit in the subject to secure admission into higher institutions.
A statement by the spokesperson of the Federal Ministry of Education, FME, Folasade Boriowo, said: “The revised National Guidelines for Entry Requirements into Nigerian Tertiary Institutions are designed to remove barriers while maintaining academic standards.
“The new framework applies to universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and Innovation Enterprise Academies across the country as follows:
“Universities: Minimum of five (5) credit passes in relevant subjects, including English Language, obtained in not more than two sittings. Mathematics is mandatory for Science, Technology, and Social Science courses.
“Polytechnics (ND Level): Minimum of four (4) credit passes in relevant subjects, including English Language for non-science courses and Mathematics for science-related programs.
“Polytechnics (HND Level): Minimum of five (5) credit passes in relevant subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.
“Colleges of Education (NCE Level): Minimum of four (4) credit passes in relevant subjects, with English Language mandatory for Arts and Social Science courses, and Mathematics required for Science, Vocational, and Technical programs,” a statement by the FME’s spokesperson, Folasade Boriowo, said.
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, described the reform as a deliberate effort to expand access to tertiary education.
The ministry also approved a comprehensive reform of admission entry requirements into all tertiary institutions across the country, increasing the average annual intake from about 700,000 to one million students.
According to the government, the new policy aims to expand access to higher education and create opportunities for an additional 250,000 to 300,000 admissions each year.
The minister explained that the reform became necessary after years of limited access, which left many qualified candidates unable to secure admission despite meeting the required standards.
“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 lack of ability but outdated and overly stringent entry requirements that must give way to fairness and opportunity.
“The reform is a deliberate effort to expand access to tertiary education, creating opportunities for an additional 250,000 to 300,000 students each year. It reflects our commitment to ensuring that every Nigerian youth has a fair chance to learn, grow, and succeed—putting the Renewed Hope Agenda into action,’’ he said.
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The Ooni of Ife and the Alaafin of Oyo at a public event in Lagos, putting an end to perceived rivalry between the two most referred traditional rulers in Yorubaland
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