The Federal Government has approved a comprehensive reform of admission entry requirements for all tertiary institutions in Nigeria, introducing a more flexible and inclusive framework aimed at expanding access to higher education.
The development followed the approval of the National Guidelines for Entry Requirements into Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria, according to a statement issued by Boriowo Folasade, Director of Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Education.
The statement explained that the new policy, championed by the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, seeks to democratize access to tertiary education and empower Nigerian youths in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“The policy represents a major stride in promoting inclusivity and driving national development through equitable education opportunities,” the ministry stated.
Dr. Alausa said the reform became necessary after years of restrictive admission requirements that left many qualified candidates without placement despite meeting academic expectations.
According to him, while over two million candidates sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) annually, only about 700,000 secure admission — a gap he attributed to outdated and rigid entry rules rather than a lack of academic ability.
“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,” Dr. Alausa said.
The new National Guidelines update admission requirements across universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and Innovation Enterprise Academies (IEAs) while maintaining 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 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.
