The Federal Government on Tuesday announced a sweeping review of Nigeria’s tertiary school admission policy, effectively making Mathematics optional for students seeking entry into non-science courses across the nation’s universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.
The crucial policy shift, announced by the Ministry of Education through its spokesperson, Folashade Boriowo, aims to “democratise access to tertiary education and empower Nigerian youths,” according to Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa.
The new framework, which applies to all tertiary institutions—including universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and Innovation Enterprise Academies (IEAs)—establishes varying requirements based on the intended course of study.
What the New Rules Mean
Under the revised guidelines, Mathematics remains mandatory only for students applying for science, technology, and social science courses.
For non-science applicants, the focus shifts to core relevant subjects.
For University Admissions:
Admission seekers must now achieve a minimum of five credit passes in relevant subjects, including English, obtained in not more than two sittings. Mathematics is only a requirement for students applying to science, technology, and social science programmes.
For Polytechnics:
- National Diploma (ND) (Non-Science): Requires a minimum of four credit passes in relevant subjects, including English.
- National Diploma (ND) (Science-Related): Requires a minimum of four credit passes, including Mathematics.
- Higher National Diploma (HND): A minimum of five credit passes is required in relevant subjects, including both English Language and Mathematics.
For Colleges of Education:
- National Certificate in Education (NCE): Requires a minimum of four credit passes in relevant subjects. English is mandatory for arts and social science courses, while Mathematics is required for science, vocational, and technical programmes.
- Bachelor of Education (B.Ed): Requires a minimum of five credit passes, including English and Mathematics, as applicable to the course of study.
The policy further dictates that Innovation Enterprise Academies (IEAs) must adopt the same minimum requirements as polytechnics for their ND programme.
In a notable administrative change, the National Innovation Diploma (NID) has been abolished entirely.
Education stakeholders are expected to react to the new policy in the coming days as institutions prepare to implement the revised entry requirements.
Ifunanya Ikueze is an Engineer, Safety Professional, Writer, Investor, Entrepreneur and Educator.
