Prospective students seeking admission into Nigeria Certificate in Education programmes will no longer be required to sit the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, the Federal Government announced on Monday, in a policy shift that also extends to candidates applying for national diploma programmes in non technology agricultural and agriculture related courses.

The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, made the announcement during JAMB's 2026 Policy Meeting in Abuja, stating that the exemption was designed to ease administrative pressure on the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board and to encourage greater participation in teacher education and agricultural programmes.

Under the new guidelines, NCE candidates will only need a minimum of four O level credit passes in their school certificate to qualify for admission.

"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," the minister told the gathering.

However, Alausa was clear that the exemption does not remove JAMB from the process entirely. "It is imperative to emphasise that such candidates shall mandatorily register with JAMB, and their credentials shall be duly screened, verified, and certified for the issuance of admission letters through CAPS, in accordance with extant regulations," he stated.

The minister described the policy as a deliberate balance between widening access and preserving the integrity of the admission system. "This approach strikes a necessary balance between widening access and preserving the integrity of our admission system. It will not only ease the pressure associated with UTME but also encourage greater participation in teacher education and agricultural programmes, both of which are critical to national development," he added.

Alausa also used the occasion to signal a broader push towards digital transformation in Nigerian education, announcing the full adoption of computer based testing across national examinations and urging institutions to integrate artificial intelligence and emerging technologies into their curricula.

"The global shift towards digitalisation is not a distant prospect; it is an immediate necessity," he stated. "Our graduates must not only possess theoretical knowledge but also the practical skills required to thrive in a modern economy."