The 2026 Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board policy meeting took a major turn on Monday as Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, announced that candidates seeking admission into Nigeria Certificate in Education programmes and National Diploma Agricultural courses will no longer be required to sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.
Speaking during the ongoing policy meeting in Abuja, the minister disclosed that prospective students into the affected programmes would only be required to possess a minimum of four credits in their O’Level examinations, while still registering through JAMB for screening and documentation purposes.
According to him, the new policy is part of broader reforms aimed at increasing access to tertiary education and reducing the growing number of out-of-school children and adolescents across the country. He explained that although candidates would no longer sit for UTME in those categories, they would still be officially captured within the JAMB system and issued matriculation numbers upon admission.
“This policy is designed to expand access and create opportunities for more young Nigerians to acquire tertiary education, especially in critical sectors like teacher education and agriculture,” Alausa stated during the meeting.
The minister also commended some colleges of education for their impressive admission records, specifically applauding Federal College of Education Gombe for reportedly admitting 3,545 students. He equally praised College of Education, Iwo for its growing student population and contribution to teacher education in Nigeria.
In another major announcement, Alausa declared that Nigeria is moving towards the full adoption of digital examinations across all levels of the education system. He stressed that tertiary institutions and examination bodies must begin to embrace modern technology-driven assessment systems to improve transparency, efficiency, and credibility.
“We must fully embrace digital examinations in Nigeria. Institutions can no longer continue to operate manually in a rapidly advancing global education environment,” he said.
The minister further directed Vice Chancellors, Rectors, and Provosts across Nigerian tertiary institutions to immediately begin the digitalisation of students’ records and population management systems. According to him, accurate student data is critical for national education planning and institutional accountability.
Expressing concern over infrastructural inadequacies in some institutions, Alausa recounted visiting a polytechnic that admitted nearly 30,000 students despite having only about 1,600 bed spaces available for accommodation. He described the situation as unacceptable and a major indication of poor institutional planning.
“You cannot admit tens of thousands of students without corresponding infrastructure and support systems. Institutions must operate within realistic and approved capacities,” the minister warned.
He also issued a stern directive against illegal admissions, insisting that no tertiary institution should admit students outside the quota approved under the Central Admissions Processing System. He maintained that compliance with JAMB regulations remains mandatory for all institutions nationwide.
During the meeting, the minister highlighted what he described as major achievements of the Federal Government in the education sector over the past year. Among the achievements listed were increased funding support for research activities across tertiary institutions, improved industrial harmony with academic and non-academic unions, and intensified efforts to combat examination malpractice nationwide.
He noted that agreements reached with unions including the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, and non-teaching staff unions have contributed significantly to stability within Nigeria’s tertiary education sector.
Observers at the meeting described the announcements as one of the boldest policy shifts in recent years, especially for technical, agricultural, and teacher education programmes which many stakeholders believe require urgent expansion to meet national development goals.
The ongoing JAMB policy meeting continues to attract education stakeholders, institutional heads, policymakers, and government officials from across Nigeria, with discussions centered on admission regulations, institutional compliance, access to education, and reforms aimed at strengthening the country’s tertiary education system.
