FG Scraps UTME Requirement For NCE Candidates With 4 Credits

The federal government has announced that candidates seeking admission into the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) programme with a minimum of four credit passes will no longer be required to sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Monday during the ongoing Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) 2026 policy meeting on admissions in Abuja.

According to the minister, the policy forms part of ongoing reforms aimed at expanding access to tertiary education, particularly in teacher education and agriculture-related programmes.

Alausa said although such candidates would be exempted from writing the UTME, they would still be required to register with JAMB, while their credentials would undergo screening, verification and certification through the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) before admission letters are issued.

“In recognition of this reality, the Federal Ministry of Education, in consultation with relevant stakeholders, has taken a deliberate policy position. Accordingly, candidates seeking admission into the NCE programme, who possess a minimum of four credit passes, will no longer be required to sit for the UTME,” he stated.

The minister added that the exemption would also apply to candidates seeking admission into National Diploma programmes in non-technology agricultural and agriculture-related courses.

He said the move was designed to widen access to higher education, reduce the pressure associated with the UTME and encourage greater enrolment into teacher education and agricultural programmes considered critical to national development.

Details later…