The Federal Ministry of Education has announced that senior secondary school students in 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 ministry made the announcement on Tuesday, stating that the decision is part of the newly revised National Guidelines for Entry Requirements into Nigerian Tertiary Institutions, aimed at removing barriers to access while maintaining academic standards.
“For years, admission seekers in arts and humanities, like their counterparts in the sciences and social sciences, have been mandated to obtain five credits, including English Language and Mathematics, to qualify for admission,” the ministry noted.
According to the statement signed by Folasade Boriowo, spokesperson of the ministry, the new framework applies to universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and Innovation Enterprise Academies across the country.
Under the new policy, universities will now require a minimum of five credit passes in relevant subjects, including English Language, obtained in not more than two sittings. Mathematics remains compulsory only for science, technology, and social science courses.
For polytechnics, candidates seeking admission into the ND level must possess at least four credit passes, including English Language for non-science courses, while mathematics is compulsory for science-related programmes. At the HND level, both English and mathematics remain mandatory.
Similarly, for colleges of education, candidates must have at least four credits in relevant subjects, with English Language mandatory for arts and social sciences, and mathematics required for science, vocational, and technical programmes.
An education analyst, Ayodamola Oluwatoyin, described the reform as “a brilliant and inclusive step that will open doors and improve access to tertiary education for many admission seekers.”
The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, said the decision reflects the government’s commitment to expanding access to higher education, ensuring that no qualified student is denied admission due to rigid entry barriers.