In a major policy shift aimed at widening access to tertiary education, the Federal Government has announced that Mathematics will no longer be a compulsory subject for candidates seeking admission into non-science courses in Nigerian tertiary institutions.
The new policy, unveiled on Tuesday by the Federal Ministry of Education, marks a significant departure from longstanding admission requirements that made Mathematics a mandatory subject across virtually all fields of study.
The ministry’s spokesperson, Folashade Boriowo, said in a statement that the revised framework applies to universities, polytechnics, colleges of education and Innovation Enterprise Academies (IEAs) nationwide.
Minister of Education, Prof. Tunji Alausa, explained that the review was designed to “democratise access to tertiary education and empower Nigerian youths.
“Every year, over two million candidates sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), yet only about 700,000 gain admission,” he said.
“This imbalance is not due to a lack of ability but rather to outdated and overly stringent entry requirements that must give way to fairness and opportunity.”
Under the new guidelines, candidates seeking university admission must obtain a minimum of five credit passes in relevant subjects, including English Language, in not more than two sittings. Mathematics remains compulsory only for science, technology and social science courses.
For polytechnics, admission into non-science programmes requires four credit passes, including English, while Mathematics is mandatory for science-related courses. At the Higher National Diploma (HND) level, five credit passes including English and Mathematics are required.
Similarly, for admission into colleges of education at the NCE level, candidates must have a minimum of four credit passes in relevant subjects. English is compulsory for arts and social science courses, while Mathematics is required for science, vocational and technical programmes.
At the B.Ed level, colleges of education will require five credit passes, including English and Mathematics, depending on the course of study. Innovation Enterprise Academies are to align their minimum requirements with those of polytechnics for the National Diploma (ND) programme.
The ministry also announced the abolition of the National Innovation Diploma (NID) as part of the new policy framework.
According to the Federal Government, the review seeks to address structural bottlenecks in the admission process, expand opportunities for millions of young Nigerians, and make tertiary education more inclusive and responsive to contemporary needs.
