The Federal Ministry of Education has announced reforms to university admission requirements on Tuesday, aiming to increase annual student intake from 700,000 to one million while removing what officials described as outdated barriers to higher education access.
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The changes will create opportunities for an additional 250,000 to 300,000 students each year to enter universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education across Africa’s most populous nation, according to Education Minister Dr. Tunji Alausa.
“Every year, over two million candidates sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, yet only about 700,000 gain admission,” Alausa said. “This imbalance is not due to lack of ability but outdated and overly stringent entry requirements that must give way to fairness and opportunity.”
Among the most significant changes, arts and humanities students will no longer need to present a credit in mathematics in their Senior School Certificate Examination as a prerequisite for university or polytechnic admission—ending a long-standing requirement that has applied uniformly across all disciplines.
For years, admission seekers in arts and humanities faced the same five-credit requirement as their peers in sciences and social sciences, including mandatory credits in both mathematics and English language, regardless of their chosen field of study.
Under the new framework, mathematics remains compulsory only for students pursuing science, technology, and social science programmes at universities, while arts and humanities students need only demonstrate proficiency in the English language and other relevant subjects.
The revised National Guidelines for Entry Requirements into Nigerian Tertiary Institutions establish different standards based on institution type and programme level, according to a statement by FME spokesperson Folasade Boriowo.
Tiered Requirements Across Institutions
Universities: Students must achieve a minimum of five credit passes in relevant subjects, including English language, obtained in no more than two sittings. Mathematics is mandatory exclusively for science, technology, and social science courses.
Polytechnics (National Diploma level): A minimum of four credit passes in relevant subjects is required, with English language mandatory for non-science courses and mathematics required for science-related programmes.
Polytechnics (Higher National Diploma level): Students must obtain at least five credit passes in relevant subjects, including both English language and mathematics.
Colleges of Education (Nigeria Certificate in Education level): Four credit passes in relevant subjects are required, with English language mandatory for arts and social science courses, while mathematics is necessary for science, vocational, and technical programmes.
The examinations referenced are administered by the West African Examinations Council and the National Examinations Council.
Alausa characterised the reforms as essential to addressing a persistent access crisis in Nigerian higher education, where millions of qualified candidates have been unable to secure admission despite meeting established standards.
“The reform is a deliberate effort to expand access to tertiary education,” the minister said. “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.”
The new guidelines apply to universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and Innovation Enterprise Academies nationwide. Ministry officials stated that the changes are designed to remove barriers while maintaining academic standards across Nigeria’s tertiary education sector.
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