By: Helen Okechukwu, Fatimah Idera
Over time, Nigeria’s education sector has undergone several systematic changes, from new policy recommendations to their implementation. In 2024, the former Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, raised the minimum age for university admission to 18. The decision stirred controversy among Nigerians.
Following a review at a policy meeting organised by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) in July 2025, the incumbent education minister, Tunji Alausa, reduced the minimum age to 16, explaining that it reflected a balance between cognitive maturity and academic preparedness.
Despite these adjustments, the Federal Government’s (FG) on Tuesday announced the removal of Mathematics as a compulsory O’level requirement for Arts students seeking university admission sparked debate and raised questions about the nation’s educational framework.
The New Daily Prime earlier reported that the FG dropped Mathematics as a requirement for admissions into Arts and Humanities programmes in tertiary institutions.
Reacting to the decision, an educationist, Ayodeji Michael, who teaches in the Mathematics Department of Government College Ibadan (GCI), Oyo State, expressed mixed feelings during an interview with this newspaper.
Read Also: FG removes Maths requirement for Arts, Humanities admissions into tertiary institutions
Mr Michael said his opinion on the policy was “twofold.” He acknowledged that the move could provide immediate relief for students who had been unable to secure admission due to poor performance in Mathematics. However, he warned that it might also lead to long-term academic and professional drawbacks.
According to him, many Arts students are often delayed for two to three years because they fail to meet the Mathematics requirement in their Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE) results. Removing the subject as a prerequisite, he said, could therefore make it easier for such students to gain admission.
He cautioned that the policy might discourage students from taking Mathematics seriously, despite its continued relevance across various disciplines.
“Some of these students will not take the subject very seriously, unlike before. And even when they are putting all their attention, some of them are still not doing so well.
“These students who have not been taking mathematics seriously in secondary school will struggle under this condition. It may even make some of them unable to graduate because all the major requirements for graduation include passing those electives,” he said.
The mathematics teacher further noted that even at university level, arts students are required to take certain elective courses that incorporate mathematical concepts.
He also emphasised that mathematics remains essential in everyday life and career development, irrespective of one’s field of study.
“Somebody may study Mass Communication and later find himself in the banking industry. Or someone may want to take the ICAN exam, but without a background in mathematics, that person will struggle,” he said.
Offering a suggestion, he proposed a middle ground instead of completely removing mathematics as a requirement.
“I would even suggest that maybe they should have lesser requirements. Instead of removing it completely, maybe instead of a credit in maths, if you have a D in maths, or maybe a good result in English, you can go for it,” he said.
He argued that scrapping mathematics from admission requirements could make students complacent.
“Rather than just declaring that it’s no longer a requirement, it should make the student not take it seriously. So I would prefer that the requirement be reduced a little, rather than making a natural declaration that it should be suspended as one of the requirements for getting admission,” he stated.
Describing the policy as “an advantage in the short term but a disadvantage in the long run,” he urged education policymakers to reconsider its wider implications.
“Life is unpredictable. An individual may eventually pursue a career that requires mathematical knowledge. The loopholes created by this declaration could affect such people in the future,” he cautioned.
He further emphasised that although the policy might ease immediate admission challenges for some students, it could ultimately weaken their academic foundation and restrict their future prospects.
Not professional
Corroborating Mr Michael’s position, Christian Ogbu, who also teaches Mathematics, described the government’s decision as “unprofessional” and “an unguarded declaration.” He argued that Mathematics forms the foundation of intellectual development.
“My reaction is that the statement is not professional. It’s an unguarded statement because we know that mathematics is a language. It’s a scientific and universal language, and a lot of models for solving problems, both scientific and social, are built on mathematics,” Mr Ogbu said.
He explained that exposing students to mathematics helps them develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. “Just as English is a widely spoken language and serves as the basis for law, mathematics plays a similar foundational role,” he noted.
Mr Ogbu acknowledged that while universities could exercise flexibility in their admission requirements, mathematics should remain an essential part of students’ foundational education.
“I think that students should be made to offer mathematics, but on admission, the university can be strictly guided to take our students that get D or E. But not exposing them at all to mathematics, to such a standard exam like WAEC or NECO, is not a thorough training of art students,” he said.
He urged the FG to review the decision and ensure that arts students continue to study mathematics, even if it is not used as a strict admission requirement.
“It will make them complacent, treating mathematics as unimportant. Yet, I know that mathematical application is involved in virtually every human activity — whether in building, cooking, or tailoring,” he stated.
According to him, removing the subject from early academic training is “an abnormality.”
“To remove that mindset in the age of such minors, at such an early stage of formation, to me is an abnormality. My take here is that the Federal Government should review the statement,” Ogbu concluded.
Ministry speaks
Meanwhile, in a statement issued by the Ministry of Education on Monday, the Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade, noted that the decision was aimed at expanding access to tertiary education.
Mrs Folasade further stated that the move would create opportunities for an additional 250,000 to 300,000 students to gain admission into Nigeria’s tertiary institutions each year.
She added that, “it reflects a firm commitment to ensuring that every Nigerian youth has a fair chance to learn, grow, and succeed, putting the Renewed Hope Agenda into action.”
Mrs Folasade reiterated the government’s commitment to inclusive and quality education.
“The Federal Government remains steadfast in its commitment to inclusive education, human capital development, and youth empowerment in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“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,” she said.
