The Federal Government has announced that candidates seeking admission into Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) programmes in colleges of education will no longer be required to sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Monday during the 2026 policy meeting of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board held in Abuja.
Under the new admission guidelines, prospective NCE students will only need a minimum of four O-level credit passes in their school certificate examinations to qualify for admission into colleges of education across the country.
Speaking at the meeting, Alausa said the policy was introduced to reduce the administrative pressure on JAMB and simplify the admission process for candidates pursuing teacher education programmes.
“The move is aimed at easing the administrative burden on JAMB,” the minister said.
The development marks a major shift in Nigeria’s tertiary education admission process, particularly for colleges of education, which have witnessed declining enrolment in recent years.
Stakeholders in the education sector are expected to react to the policy in the coming days, as concerns and expectations emerge over its implications for teacher training and academic standards.
More details later.
