The Federal Ministry of Education has announced a major reform in Nigeria’s admission policy, declaring that credit in Mathematics will no longer be mandatory for students seeking admission into Arts and Humanities courses across universities and polytechnics.
The new directive, issued in a statement by the Ministry’s spokesperson, Mrs. Folasade Boriowo, on Tuesday in Abuja, marks a historic shift from the decades-long rule that required all admission seekers regardless of discipline to obtain five credits including English Language and Mathematics.
According to the statement, the policy adjustment is captured in the revised National Guidelines for Entry Requirements into Nigerian Tertiary Institutions, which aims to “remove barriers while maintaining academic standards.”
“The new framework applies to universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and Innovation Enterprise Academies nationwide,” the statement reads in part.
It further outlined that for universities, a minimum of five credit passes in relevant subjects including English Language will now suffice for Arts and Humanities programmes, while Mathematics remains mandatory for Science, Technology, and Social Science courses.
For polytechnics at the National Diploma level, at least four credit passes in relevant subjects, including English Language, are required for non-science courses, whereas Mathematics remains compulsory for science-related disciplines.
At the Higher National Diploma level, both English Language and Mathematics remain mandatory for all candidates.
Also, for Colleges of Education, four credit passes including English Language are required for Arts and Social Science courses, while Mathematics is reserved for Science, Vocational, and Technical programmes.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, described the policy change as a “deliberate effort to expand access to tertiary education” and to give thousands of potential candidates a fairer chance at pursuing academic dreams previously hindered by Mathematics requirements.