KEY POINTS

• The Federal Government says exempting NCE and some agricultural course applicants from UTME could raise tertiary admissions to 1.5 million.
• Education Minister Tunji Alausa said the reform aims to improve access to education and support Nigeria’s food security goals.
• Candidates seeking admission under the new policy must still obtain at least four O’Level credits to qualify.

The Federal Government has projected that recent changes to tertiary admission requirements will increase the number of students admitted into higher institutions across Nigeria to about 1.5 million.

Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, disclosed this during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday. According to him, the new policy will significantly expand access to tertiary education and nearly double admission figures recorded in the past two years.

The reform removes the requirement for candidates seeking admission into Colleges of Education and students applying for non-technology agricultural courses in polytechnics and monotechnics to sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME.

Reform Linked to Food Security and Agricultural Development

Alausa explained that the exemption is part of broader efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s food security strategy by encouraging more students to study agriculture-related courses.

He said the government wants to attract more young Nigerians into agricultural education, especially in practical and non-technology fields that can directly improve food production across the country.

The minister also revealed that the Ministry of Education is currently reviewing and modernising agricultural curricula in universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education nationwide.

According to him, the planned overhaul will ensure that agricultural training aligns with modern farming realities and innovations such as greenhouse farming and other contemporary agricultural practices.

He expressed optimism that a new and updated agricultural curriculum would be ready before the end of the year.

The minister noted that while UTME would no longer be compulsory for the affected categories of students, applicants must still possess at least four O’Level credit passes to qualify for admission.

He added that the policy is also intended to reduce administrative pressure on the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) while encouraging more students to pursue careers in teaching and agriculture.

The UTME exemption policy was officially announced on Monday during JAMB’s 2026 policy meeting held in Abuja.