Dare Babalola
The Federal Government has removed the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) as a compulsory requirement for candidates seeking admission into Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) programmes across colleges of education in the country.
The announcement was made on Monday in Abuja by the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, during the 2026 policy meeting of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
Under the revised admission framework, applicants aspiring to study in colleges of education will no longer be required to sit for the UTME before securing admission into NCE programmes. Instead, eligibility will now be based on possession of at least four relevant credit passes in the Senior School Certificate Examination or its equivalent.
The minister explained that the reform is intended to broaden access to teacher training programmes and ease the admission process by reducing reliance on centralized examinations managed by JAMB.
The policy change is part of wider reforms currently being implemented in the education sector to improve access to tertiary education and strengthen the supply of qualified teachers across the country.
The decision has already begun generating reactions within the education community, with stakeholders describing it as one of the most significant adjustments to admission procedures in recent years, particularly for teacher training institutions.
The development also underscores the government’s broader effort to reshape entry pathways into higher education while addressing gaps in teacher education and workforce development.
