The Federal Government has announced a major revision to Nigeria’s tertiary admission guidelines, removing Mathematics as a compulsory requirement for students seeking admission into arts and humanities programmes.
The reform, contained in the newly released National Guidelines for Entry Requirements into Nigerian Tertiary Institutions, was unveiled on Tuesday by the Federal Ministry of Education.
The new framework aims to widen access to higher education while maintaining academic standards across universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and Innovation Enterprise Institutions.
“For years, admission seekers in the arts and humanities, like their contemporaries in the sciences and social sciences, have been required to obtain credits in both English Language and Mathematics to qualify for admission into higher institutions,” the Ministry said in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Folasade Boriowo.
The revised guidelines now specify that a minimum of five credit passes in relevant subjects, including English Language, will remain mandatory for university admissions. However, Mathematics will now be required only for science, technology, and social science courses.
For polytechnics, candidates seeking National Diploma (ND) admission must secure four credit passes, including English Language for non-science courses and Mathematics for science-related programmes. At the Higher National Diploma (HND) level, five credits remain compulsory, with both English and Mathematics required.
The new policy also extends to colleges of education, where English Language is mandatory for Arts and Social Science courses, while Mathematics remains compulsory for Science, Vocational, and Technical programmes.
Commenting on the policy shift, the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, said the review was a deliberate measure to eliminate unnecessary barriers in tertiary education access.
“This reform reflects our commitment to expanding opportunities for all categories of students while maintaining the integrity and standards of the education system,” he stated.
