The Federal Government has approved a far-reaching reform of admission entry requirements for tertiary institutions across Nigeria, unveiling a new framework designed to make higher education more accessible and inclusive.
The reform follows the endorsement of the National Guidelines for Entry Requirements into Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria, according to a statement on Monday by Boriowo Folasade, Director of Press and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Education.
The new policy, driven by the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, aims to break long-standing barriers in the nation’s admission system and give more young Nigerians a chance at higher education — a move aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
According to the ministry, the initiative “marks a significant milestone in promoting inclusivity and advancing national development through equitable access to education.”
Dr. Alausa explained that the reform was necessary to address years of restrictive and outdated entry criteria that had prevented thousands of qualified candidates from securing admission despite meeting academic requirements.
“Over two million candidates sit for the UTME every year, yet only about 700,000 gain admission,” Alausa said. “This is not because the rest are unqualified, but because of rigid and obsolete admission policies. That imbalance must be corrected to ensure fairness and opportunity for all.”
The revised National Guidelines for Entry Requirements cover all categories of tertiary institutions — universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and Innovation Enterprise Academies (IEAs) — while maintaining quality and academic standards.
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 mandatory for Arts programmes.
Polytechnics (ND level): Minimum of four (4) credits in relevant subjects, including English Language for non-science programmes and Mathematics for science-related courses.
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 for Science, Vocational, and Technical courses.
Colleges of Education (B.Ed level): Minimum of five (5) credits, including English and Mathematics, as required by the programme.
Innovation Enterprise Academies (IEAs): To adopt the same entry requirements as polytechnics for National Diploma (ND) programmes.
In addition, the government has scrapped the National Innovation Diploma (NID) previously awarded by IEAs, replacing it with the National Diploma (ND) to standardize qualification levels across institutions.
The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has been instructed to re-accredit all IEAs to conform with the new standards, with a warning that any institution failing to meet full accreditation requirements will be de-accredited.
Dr. Alausa said the reform could allow between 250,000 and 300,000 additional students to secure admission annually, boosting Nigeria’s human capital development.
“Our youths are the nation’s greatest asset,” he said. “This reform guarantees that every capable Nigerian has a fair chance to learn, grow, and contribute to the country’s progress.”
The Federal Government reaffirmed its commitment to inclusive education, youth empowerment, and human capital growth as part of efforts to build a more equitable and knowledge-driven society under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Source: Vanguard News
