The Federal Government has clarified that the decision to exempt candidates seeking admission into Colleges of Education and non-technology agriculture-related programmes in polytechnics from writing the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) is aimed at expanding access to higher education across the country.
Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, stated that the policy is part of ongoing efforts to reduce the number of out-of-school children and encourage more young Nigerians to pursue tertiary education.
Speaking during an interview on Television on Tuesday, the minister explained that the reform aligns with the education agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, which seeks to remove obstacles limiting access to universities and other higher institutions.
According to Alausa, financial barriers have already been addressed through the establishment of the National Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), which provides student loans to eligible Nigerians.
He explained that the initiative ensures that students are no longer denied access to tertiary education because of poverty or their family’s financial situation. He described the policy as a major breakthrough in improving educational opportunities for Nigerian youths.
The minister also revealed that the government recently reviewed Ordinary Level admission requirements for certain courses. Under the new arrangement, candidates applying for Law, Arts, and Social Science programmes no longer need a credit pass in Mathematics, while students seeking admission into Science and Engineering courses are no longer required to have a credit pass in English Language.
Alausa said the government considered it unnecessary for Law and Arts students to require Mathematics credits, just as Science and Engineering candidates should not be restricted because of English Language grades, provided they meet other relevant subject requirements.
He noted that the reforms have already increased the number of students admitted into tertiary institutions nationwide.
According to him, between 2.1 million and 2.2 million candidates sit for the UTME annually, but only about 770,000 students were previously offered admission, leaving over a million candidates without placement each year.
He disclosed that the adjustments made to O’Level requirements last year increased admissions from about 770,000 to 1.1 million students, adding nearly 400,000 more admissions.
The minister added that the latest policy removing UTME requirements for Colleges of Education and agriculture-related programmes is expected to further increase admissions to approximately 1.5 million students across tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
