New admission policy expected to reshape entry process for selected tertiary courses in Nigeria
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced that candidates seeking admission into 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 during the Board’s ongoing 2026 admission policy meeting and was also shared through JAMB’s official communication channels.
According to the examination body, the exemption applies specifically to candidates pursuing Education courses as well as Agriculture programmes outside engineering-related disciplines.
“Candidates seeking admissions into Education Programmes and Agriculture non-Engineering Courses are now exempted from UTME,” JAMB stated.
The latest development marks a major shift in Nigeria’s tertiary admission process, considering that the UTME has traditionally remained the central requirement for admission into universities, polytechnics and colleges of education nationwide.
JAMB’s annual policy meeting is usually organised to determine admission guidelines, cut-off marks and other procedures guiding admissions into tertiary institutions across the country.
Although exemptions from UTME have existed in limited categories such as Direct Entry admissions, the new policy is regarded as one of the broadest waivers introduced by the Board in recent years.
The move is expected to create alternative admission pathways for candidates applying to Education and Agriculture-related programmes, with institutions likely to rely more on screening exercises and other academic qualifications.
Observers believe the decision could encourage more students to enrol in Education and Agriculture courses, which have consistently recorded lower application rates and lower cut-off marks compared to highly competitive fields like Medicine, Law and Engineering.
Further details on implementation and admission procedures are expected to be released by JAMB and tertiary institutions in the coming weeks.
