The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has announced a major reform to Nigeria’s tertiary admission process, revealing that candidates applying for Education programmes and Agriculture-related non-engineering courses will no longer be required to sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
The announcement was made on Monday through a statement shared on the board’s official X account during its ongoing annual policy meeting on admissions. According to the examination body, the new policy aims to create alternative admission pathways for students seeking entry into selected academic disciplines.
“Candidates seeking admission into Education Programmes and Agriculture non-Engineering Courses are now exempted from UTME,” the board stated.
The development represents one of the most significant changes to the country’s admission system in recent years. For decades, the UTME has served as the standard entrance examination for candidates seeking admission into universities, polytechnics and colleges of education across Nigeria.
The annual policy meeting organised by JAMB typically determines admission guidelines for tertiary institutions, including minimum cut-off marks, application procedures and other regulatory policies for the upcoming academic session. While exemptions from the UTME have previously existed for Direct Entry applicants and a few specialised categories, the latest waiver is considered broader in scope and likely to affect a substantial number of prospective students nationwide.
Education and Agriculture courses have historically attracted fewer applicants compared to highly competitive programmes such as Medicine, Law and Engineering. Stakeholders within the education sector have often raised concerns about declining interest in teaching-related disciplines and agricultural studies despite their importance to national development.
Analysts believe the new policy could encourage more candidates to pursue careers in teaching and agriculture by removing one of the major barriers associated with tertiary admission. Institutions offering these programmes may now rely more heavily on internal screening processes, academic qualifications and other admission criteria in selecting candidates.
The policy may also help address shortages in critical sectors, particularly education and food production, where experts have repeatedly called for increased investment in manpower development.
Meanwhile, JAMB is also expected to announce the official cut-off marks for the 2026 admission cycle following deliberations at the ongoing policy meeting. The outcome is expected to shape admission decisions across universities, polytechnics and colleges of education throughout the country.
