UTME No Longer Mandatory for NCE Students

By Omoyeni Ojeifo

Candidates seeking admission into education and selected agriculture- related programmes in tertiary institutions across the country will no longer be required to sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

The development was unveiled on Monday during the Board’s 2026 Policy Meeting on Admissions held in Abuja on Monday, where stakeholders in the education sector gathered to deliberate on guidelines for the new admission cycle.

Persecondnews reports that Dr. Tunji Alausa, Minister of Education, announced that candidates seeking admission into National Certificate in Education (NCE) programmes would no longer be compelled to write the UTME once they possess the minimum academic requirements.

According to him, applicants with at least four credit passes would now qualify for consideration into NCE programmes without sitting for the examination.

Nonetheless, the minister clarified that although the UTME requirement had been removed for such candidates, registration with JAMB would remain compulsory to enable proper documentation and admission processing.

He asserted that all applicants must still pass through the Board’s admission system for screening, verification and certification before admission letters can be issued through the Central Admissions Processing System.

The new exemption would also cover candidates applying for National Diploma programmes in non-technology agricultural and agriculture-related courses in polytechnics. He added.

JAMB equally confirmed the development on its official X platform, noting that the policy meeting organised by the Board traditionally sets the tone for admissions into universities, polytechnics and colleges of education, including decisions on admission procedures.

The measure is expected to boost enrolment into education and agriculture-related programmes, long considered less competitive than courses such as Medicine, Law and Engineering.

Education stakeholders suggest that the policy could revitalize teacher training institutions by reversing declining enrollment.

Furthermore, they believe it will incentivize students to pursue agriculture-focused programs, which are increasingly viewed as essential pillars of national development.