The Federal Government has removed the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) requirement for candidates seeking admission into Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) programmes with at least four credit passes.
The announcement was contained in a statement issued by the Federal Ministry of Education after the 2026 Policy Meeting on Admissions organised by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board in Abuja.
Minister of Education, Maruf Tunji Alausa, said the exemption would also cover applicants seeking admission into selected non-technology agricultural and agriculture-related National Diploma programmes.
He stated that despite the waiver, all applicants must still register with JAMB and process their admissions through the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS).
The minister warned that admissions carried out outside CAPS would remain illegal and would not receive official recognition.
Alausa also maintained that 16 years remains the minimum age for admission into tertiary institutions across the country.
At the meeting, stakeholders approved 150 as the minimum admissible score for universities and colleges of nursing for the 2026/2027 academic session, while polytechnics adopted 100 as their benchmark.
The minister said the reforms are targeted at strengthening transparency in the admission process, broadening access to higher education, promoting inclusive learning and sustaining stable academic calendars.
The meeting also disclosed that more than 2.2 million candidates registered for the 2026 UTME, while tertiary institutions were cautioned against illegal admissions and the issuance of fake admission letters.