The Federal Government of Nigeria has approved a major change in tertiary education entry requirements, removing Mathematics as a compulsory subject for admission into Arts-related courses.
Newsonspot reports that the new directive is part of the recently approved National Guidelines for Entry Requirements into Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria, announced by the Federal Ministry of Education.
According to Boriowo Folasade, Director of Press and Public Relations at the ministry, the reform – championed by Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, Minister of Education – aims to make tertiary education more inclusive and expand access for Nigerian youths in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“The new framework represents fairness and opportunity, ensuring that capable and deserving candidates are not denied admission because of obsolete requirements,” Dr. Alausa stated.
Under the updated policy, Mathematics will remain compulsory for Science, Technology, and Social Science programmes but is no longer mandatory for Arts students seeking admission into universities, polytechnics, or colleges of education.
Education analysts describe the reform as a landmark policy shift, expected to open university access to thousands of qualified candidates who were previously excluded due to the old admission structure.
The government added that the revised guidelines will apply across all tertiary institutions beginning with the next Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) admission cycle.
