By Nchetachi Chukwuajah
The Federal Government says it is committed to removing stringent requirements for admission into tertiary institutions in Nigeria and expanding access for an additional 300,000 students yearly.
It also stated that a credit pass in mathematics in the Senior School Certificate Examination organised by the West African Examination Council (WAEC) and National Examination Council (NECO) is no longer compulsory for senior secondary school students in arts and humanities to gain admission into universities and polytechnics.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday, October 14, and signed by the spokesperson of the Federal Ministry of Education, Folasade Boriowo, these are contained in the revised National Guidelines for Entry Requirements into Nigerian Tertiary Institutions.
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 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 programmes.
“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.”
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, described the reform as a deliberate effort to expand access to tertiary education.
According to the ministry, a comprehensive reform of admission entry requirements into all tertiary institutions across the country has also been approved, which increases the average annual intake from about 700,000 to one million students.
It said the new policy aims to expand access to higher education and create opportunities for an additional 250,000 to 300,000 admissions each year.
Alausa said the reform became necessary after years of limited access, which left many qualified candidates unable to secure admission despite meeting the required standards.
He said, “Every year, over two million candidates sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), yet only about 700,000 gain admission. This imbalance is not due to lack of ability but 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 an additional 250,000 to 300,000 students each year. It reflects our commitment to ensuring that every Nigerian youth has a fair chance to learn, grow, and succeed—putting the Renewed Hope Agenda into action.”
