- Safiu Kehinde
The Federal Government has struck out mathematics as a mandatory subject for students seeking admission into arts and humanities programmes in Nigerian universities and polytechnics.
This was announced in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Ministry of Education’s spokesperson, Folashade Boriowo.
According to the statement, candidates will no longer be required to have a credit in Mathematics in the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE), including both in the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO).
Prior to the policy change, all admission seekers, regardless of their field of study, were required to have at least five credit passes, including Mathematics and English Language, to qualify for entry into higher institutions.
However, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, in the statement, explained that the reform has become necessary after years of restricted access that left many qualified candidates unable to secure admission.
According to him, over two million candidates sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) every year but only about 700,000 gain admission.
This imbalance, he noted, is not due to a lack of ability but rather to outdated and overly stringent entry requirements that must give way to fairness and opportunity.
The revision of the requirement and introduction of a new framework, as contained in the statement, were considered necessary to remove the barrier while maintaining academic standard.
The statement partly read; “The revised National Guidelines for Entry Requirements into Nigerian Tertiary Institutions are designed to remove barriers while maintaining academic standards.
“The new framework applies to universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and Innovation Enterprise Academies across the country as follows:
“Universities: Minimum of five (5) credit passes in relevant subjects, including English Language, obtained in not more than two sittings. Mathematics is mandatory for Science, Technology, and Social Science courses.
“Polytechnics (ND Level): Minimum of four (4) credit passes in relevant subjects, including English Language for non-science courses and Mathematics for science-related programs.
“Polytechnics (HND Level):
Minimum of five (5) credit passes in relevant subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.
“Colleges of Education (NCE Level): Minimum of four (4) credit passes in relevant subjects, with English Language mandatory for Arts and Social Science courses, and Mathematics required for Science, Vocational, and Technical programs,”.
The education minister further noted that the reform is a deliberate effort to expand access to tertiary education, creating opportunities for additional 250,000 to 300,000 additional students to be admitted to tertiary Institutions each year.
Alausa added that harmonizing admission guidelines will help reduce the number of out-of-school youths, strengthen vocational and technical training, and align Nigeria’s tertiary education Structure with global and industry standards.
He reiterated that young people remain the heartbeat of the nation, and the government is committed to equipping them with the education and skills they need to reach their full potential and contribute meaningfully to national development.