Federal Ministry of Education said on Tuesday that students seeking admission into tertiary institutions to study arts and humanities will no longer be required to have a credit pass in mathematics in their secondary school certificate examinations.
The reform, contained in the Revised National Guidelines for Entry Requirements into Nigerian Tertiary Institutions, applies to all higher education institutions — universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and Innovation Enterprise Academies.
“The revised guidelines are designed to remove barriers while maintaining academic standards,” the ministry’s spokesperson, Folasade Boriowo, said in a statement.
Under the new framework, universities will now require a minimum of five credit passes in relevant subjects, including English Language, obtained in not more than two sittings. Mathematics remains compulsory only for courses in science, technology, and social sciences.
For polytechnics, four credit passes are required at the National Diploma (ND) level, including English Language for non-science courses and Mathematics for science-related programmes. At the Higher National Diploma (HND) level, five credits, including English and Mathematics, remain mandatory.
Colleges of education will require a minimum of four credit passes, with English compulsory for arts and social sciences and Mathematics for science, vocational, and technical courses.
Education Minister Tunji Alausa described the move as “a deliberate effort to expand access to tertiary education and remove unnecessary entry barriers.”
Education analyst Ayodamola Oluwatoyin said the decision could ease access to higher education. “This is a brilliant reform which we hope will open the doors and improve the ease of admissions into tertiary institutions for more seekers,” she said.
