October 15, 2025
The Federal Government has approved a comprehensive reform of the entry requirements for admission into all tertiary institutions in the country, making it a more flexible and inclusive access to higher education.
This was contained in a statement issued by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Education, Boriowo Folasade.
According to the statement, the new policy, championed by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, sought to democratize access to tertiary education and empower Nigerian youths.
“The policy represents a major stride in promoting inclusivity and driving national development through equitable education opportunities,” the ministry stated.
Alausa said the reform became necessary after years of restrictive admission requirements that left many qualified candidates without placement, despite meeting academic expectations.
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He said while over two million candidates sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, annually, only about 700,000 secure admission, a gap caused by outdated and rigid entry requirements rather than a lack of academic ability.
The minister noted that “This imbalance must give way to fairness and opportunity. Our goal is to ensure that capable and deserving candidates are not denied education because of obsolete policies.”
The new admission requirements update cut across universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and Innovation Enterprise Academies, IEAs, while maintaining academic standards.
The new admission guidelines, stipulates;
Universities: Minimum of five (5) credit passes in relevant subjects, including English Language, in not more than two sittings.
Mathematics remains compulsory for science, technology, and social science courses but is no longer compulsory for Arts students.
Polytechnics, ND level: Minimum of four (4) credit passes in relevant subjects, including English Language for non-science courses and Mathematics for science-related programmes.
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Polytechnics, HND level: Minimum of five (5) credits, including English Language and Mathematics.
Colleges of Education, NCE level: Minimum of four (4) credits, with English compulsory for Arts and Social Sciences, and Mathematics required for Science.
Vocational, and Technical programmes.Colleges of Education (B.Ed level): Minimum of five (5) credits, including English Language and Mathematics, as applicable to the course of study.
Innovation Enterprise Academies, IEAs: To adopt the same requirements as Polytechnics for National Diploma, ND programmes.
The government also announced the abolition of the National Innovation Diploma, NID, previously awarded by IEAs, replacing it with the National Diploma (ND) to ensure uniformity and credibility across institutions.
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The National Board for Technical Education, NBTE, has been directed to re-accredit all IEAs nationwide to align with the new ND standards, warning that institutions that fail to meet full accreditation requirements would face de-accreditation.
Dr. Alausa said the reform was expected to create room for an additional 250,000 to 300,000 students to gain admission annually.
“Our young people are the heartbeat of this nation. This reform ensures that every Nigerian youth has a fair chance to learn, grow, and succeed. We are equipping them with the education and skills they need to reach their full potential and contribute meaningfully to national development,” he stated.
