The Federal Government has announced a major policy shift in tertiary education admissions, declaring that senior secondary school students in the arts and humanities will no longer be required to obtain a credit pass in Mathematics in their Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) as a condition for admission into universities and polytechnics.

The new policy, announced on Tuesday in a statement by the Federal Ministry of Education and signed by its spokesperson, Folasade Boriowo, introduces the Revised National Guidelines for Entry Requirements into Nigerian Tertiary Institutions. The framework aims to eliminate unnecessary barriers that have long hindered access to higher education while maintaining academic standards.

Under the new guidelines, Mathematics will remain compulsory only for Science, Technology, and Social Science courses, while English Language continues to be mandatory across all disciplines. For universities, applicants will now require a minimum of five credit passes in relevant subjects, including English Language, obtained in not more than two sittings. Similarly, polytechnics and colleges of education will adopt adjusted criteria tailored to specific fields, allowing greater flexibility for non-science students.

Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, described the reform as a strategic step to expand access to tertiary education and increase the nation’s annual admission capacity from about 700,000 to one million students. He noted that the new policy could open opportunities for an additional 250,000 to 300,000 qualified candidates each year. Alausa emphasised that the decision followed years of feedback and review, highlighting the need to ensure that every Nigerian student, regardless of discipline, has fair access to higher education opportunities.