The Federal Government has announced the removal of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) requirement for candidates seeking admission into Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) programmes across the country.
The announcement was made by the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, on Monday during the annual policy meeting organised by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board in Abuja.
Under the new policy, prospective candidates seeking admission into Colleges of Education will no longer be required to register for or sit the UTME conducted by JAMB.
Instead, admissions into NCE programmes will now be based solely on candidates’ performance in the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) or its recognised equivalent.
According to the revised directive, candidates must possess a minimum of four credit passes in their O-Level results to qualify for admission into Colleges of Education.
Alausa explained that the policy was introduced as part of efforts to reform teacher education and simplify the admission process for prospective educators.
The minister stated that the decision would also reduce the annual administrative burden on JAMB by allowing the examination body to concentrate more on university and polytechnic admissions.
He added that the streamlined process is expected to make teacher education more accessible, less bureaucratic and more attractive to students interested in pursuing careers in teaching.
According to him, the policy forms part of broader reforms aimed at repositioning teacher education programmes for greater efficiency and improved access nationwide.
While announcing that the directive takes immediate effect, the minister said the Ministry of Education would release further details on the implementation framework and any additional institutional screening procedures in the coming days.
The development marks one of the most significant changes to Nigeria’s tertiary admission process in recent years, as the government moves toward specialised admission pathways for teacher education programmes.
