The federal government has announced a new policy that lowers the admission requirements for tertiary institutions in which a credit in English Language and Mathematics will no longer be mandatory for certain degree programmes.

The change is aimed at broadening access and creating more inclusive pathways for students whose strengths lie outside the traditional core subjects.

Folasade Boriowo, director of press at the Federal Ministry of Education in a statement emphasised that the new policy is geared towards increasing access to tertiary education for more admission seekers than the nation’s institutions currently accommodate.

According to the statement, Tunji Alausa, the minister of education is not satisfied with the existing policy, which he noted fails to recognise fairness and creates room for imbalance.

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“Alausa explains that the reform has become necessary after years of restricted access that left many qualified candidates unable to secure admission.

“Every year, over two million candidates sit the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), yet only about 700,000 gain admission. This imbalance, he notes, is not due to a lack of ability but rather to outdated and overly stringent entry requirements that must give way to fairness and opportunity,” the statement reads in part..

In addition, the statement reads, “The revised national guidelines for entry requirements into Nigerian tertiary institutions are designed to remove barriers while maintaining academic standards.

“The new framework applies to universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and Innovation Enterprise Academies (IEAs) across the country as follows..”

Universities: Minimum of five credit passes in relevant subjects, including English Language, obtained in not more than two sittings. Mathematics is mandatory for Science, Technology, and Social Science courses.

Polytechnics (ND Level): Minimum of four credit passes in relevant subjects, including English Language for non-science courses and Mathematics for science-related programs.

Polytechnics (HND Level): Minimum of five credit passes in relevant subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.

Colleges of Education (NCE Level): Minimum of four credit passes in relevant subjects, with English Language mandatory for Arts and Social Science courses, and Mathematics required for Science, Vocational, and Technical programmes.

Colleges of Education (B.Ed Level): Minimum of five credit passes, including English Language and Mathematics, as applicable to the course of study.

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Innovation Enterprise Academies (IEAs): To adopt the same minimum requirements as Polytechnics for the National Diploma (ND) programme. The National Innovation Diploma (NID) is hereby abolished.

In addition, the National Industrial Diploma (NID) previously issued by Innovation Enterprise Academies will be phased out and replaced with the National Diploma (ND) to ensure uniformity, credibility, and progression opportunities for graduates. The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) is currently re-accrediting all IEAs nationwide to align with the new ND standards. Institutions that fail to transition to full accreditation will be de-accredited.

Alausa explains that the reform has become necessary after years of restricted access that left many qualified candidates unable to secure admission. Every year, over two million candidates sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), yet only about 700,000 gain admission.

This imbalance, he said, is not due to a lack of ability but rather to outdated and overly stringent entry requirements that must give way to fairness and opportunity.

“The reform is a deliberate effort to expand access to tertiary education, creating opportunities for additional 250,000 to 300,000 additional students to be admitted to Nigerian tertiary institutions each year,” he emphasised.

This according to the statement reflects a firm commitment to ensuring that every Nigerian youth has a fair chance to learn, grow, and succeed, putting the Renewed Hope Agenda into action.

Besides, the minister emphasised that harmonising admission guidelines will help reduce the number of out-of-school youths, strengthen vocational and technical training, and align Nigeria’s tertiary education structure with global and industry standards.

He reiterates that young people remain the heartbeat of the nation, and the government is committed to equipping them with the education and skills they need to reach their full potential and contribute meaningfully to national development.

The current policy makes makes obtaining credit in both English and Mathematics at O’level mandatory for admission seekers, and this, according to Alausa, is found to be constituting barriers for those seeking admission into tertiary institutions in the country.