The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has announced that candidates seeking admission into education programmes and agriculture-related non-engineering courses in colleges of education and polytechnics will no longer be required to sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.

The announcement was made on Monday through the board’s official X handle during its ongoing 2026 policy meeting on admissions in Abuja.

“Candidates seeking admissions into Education Programmes and Agriculture non-Engineering Courses are now exempted from UTME,” the board stated.

Speaking at the 2026 Policy Meeting on Admissions to Tertiary Institutions, Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, said candidates applying for National Certificate in Education programmes who possess a minimum of four credit passes will no longer be required to write the UTME.

He explained, however, that such candidates must still register with the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board.

According to him, registration remains compulsory to enable the board screen, verify and certify candidates’ credentials before admission letters are issued through the Central Admissions Processing System in line with existing regulations.

Alausa added that the exemption also covers candidates seeking admission into National Diploma programmes in non-technology agricultural and agriculture-related courses.

He said the policy is designed to expand access to tertiary education while preserving the integrity of the admission process.

According to the minister, the new measure will reduce the pressure associated with the UTME and encourage greater enrolment in teacher education and agricultural programmes, both of which are considered critical to national development.

The development marks a significant change in Nigeria’s tertiary admission process, as the UTME has traditionally served as the standard entrance examination for admission into universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.

The annual policy meeting convened by JAMB is usually used to determine admission guidelines, including cut-off marks and other procedures for tertiary institutions.

The new policy is expected to create alternative admission pathways for candidates seeking entry into education-related and agriculture programmes outside engineering disciplines through institutional screening and other qualification requirements.

In recent years, education and agriculture courses have generally attracted lower cut-off marks compared with highly competitive programmes such as medicine, law and engineering.