Quote from Golden on May 12, 2026, 1:48 am

 

The Nigerian government has announced that candidates seeking admission to study education-related courses and agriculture programmes outside engineering disciplines will no longer be required to sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

The new policy, which takes effect from the 2026/2027 admission cycle, was unveiled on Monday during the annual admission policy meeting organised by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board in Abuja.

Speaking at the meeting, the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, disclosed that candidates with at least four credit passes in relevant subjects would now be eligible to seek admission into Colleges of Education without taking the UTME.

According to the minister, affected candidates would still be required to register with JAMB for documentation and admission processing despite being exempted from the examination.

He explained that their academic credentials would be screened, verified and certified before admission letters are issued through the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS), in line with existing regulations.

Confirming the development in a statement posted on its official X handle, JAMB said: “Candidates seeking admissions into Education Programs and Agriculture non-Engineering Courses are now exempted from UTME.”

The annual policy meeting organised by JAMB is traditionally used to determine admission guidelines, cut-off marks and other procedures for universities, polytechnics and colleges of education across Nigeria.

Although exemptions from the UTME already exist for some categories of candidates, including Direct Entry applicants, the latest decision is considered one of the broadest waivers introduced into Nigeria’s tertiary admission process in recent years.

The development is expected to significantly alter admission processes into education-related programmes and non-engineering agriculture courses, while also creating alternative pathways into tertiary education outside the conventional UTME route.

https://saharareporters.com/2026/05/11/breaking-nigerian-govt-exempts-candidates-seeking-study-education-agric-courses-taking