KEY POINTS

• The Federal Government has removed UTME as a requirement for admission into NCE programmes.
• Candidates now only need four relevant O’Level credits to qualify for admission.
• The policy aims to ease JAMB’s workload and encourage more students to study education courses.

The Federal Government has announced that candidates seeking admission into Nigeria Certificate in Education, NCE, programmes in Colleges of Education will no longer be required to sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME.

The announcement was made by the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, during the 2026 Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, policy meeting held in Abuja on Monday.

Under the new admission guidelines, applicants interested in NCE programmes will only need a minimum of four credits in relevant O’Level subjects to gain admission.

The government said the decision is part of efforts to simplify the admission process into Colleges of Education and make teacher training more accessible to prospective students across the country.

Govt Explains Reason for the Change

According to the Minister of Education, the removal of UTME for NCE candidates is also expected to reduce the administrative burden on the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

The policy is seen as a move to encourage more students to enrol in teacher education programmes at a time when Nigeria is seeking to strengthen its education sector and improve the supply of qualified teachers.