FG Eases Admission Rules, Drops Maths for Arts Students
By Shalom Ikuvbogie
In a major move to make higher education more accessible, the Federal Government has reviewed the entry requirements for tertiary institutions across Nigeria, allowing Arts students to gain admission without a compulsory credit in Mathematics.
The new policy, approved by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, introduces a flexible and inclusive admission framework aimed at widening opportunities for Nigerian youths in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Education’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Mrs. Boriowo Folasade, the reform is designed to end years of rigid admission barriers that have kept many qualified candidates out of school despite their academic competence.
Dr. Alausa said the previous admission rules were outdated and often unfair, leading to situations where capable candidates missed out simply because of rigid subject requirements.
“Every year, over two million candidates sit for the UTME, but barely 700,000 secure admission. This is not due to lack of merit but because of obsolete policies that limit opportunity. We are correcting that imbalance,” he said.
Under the new guidelines, tertiary institutions including universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and Innovation Enterprise Academies—will now apply updated subject requirements.
For university admissions, five credit passes in relevant subjects, including English Language, remain compulsory. Mathematics is still required for science, technology, and social science courses, but no longer for Arts programmes.
Polytechnics, colleges, and IEAs will follow similar subject-specific requirements to ensure fairness without compromising academic standards.
The government also replaced the National Innovation Diploma (NID) with the National Diploma (ND) to unify qualifications across all institutions. The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has been directed to re-accredit all Innovation Enterprise Academies to meet the new ND standards or face de-accreditation.
Dr. Alausa noted that the reform could open up opportunities for an additional 250,000 to 300,000 students annually, describing it as “a step toward educational equity and national growth.”
“Our young people are the future of this nation. This policy gives every Nigerian youth a fair chance to learn, grow, and contribute meaningfully to the country,” he said.
The federal government reaffirmed its commitment to inclusive education and human capital development as part of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.