The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has announced a major change to Nigeria’s tertiary admission process, revealing that candidates seeking admission into Education programmes and Agriculture-related non-engineering courses will no longer be required to sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
The decision was disclosed on Monday during JAMB’s ongoing 2026 policy meeting on admissions and later confirmed in a statement shared on the board’s official X platform.
“Candidates seeking admissions into Education Programmes and Agriculture non-Engineering Courses are now exempted from UTME,” the board stated.
The move represents one of the most significant admission policy adjustments introduced by JAMB in recent years, considering that the UTME has traditionally served as the primary entrance examination for admission into universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education across Nigeria.
The annual policy meeting convened by JAMB is used to determine key admission guidelines for tertiary institutions, including minimum cut-off marks, admission procedures, and other regulatory frameworks.
Although certain categories of candidates, such as Direct Entry applicants, previously enjoyed exemptions from the UTME, the latest decision expands the waiver to a broader category of prospective students.
The new policy is expected to create alternative admission pathways for candidates seeking Education and Agriculture-related courses, potentially allowing institutions to rely more on internal screening processes and other academic qualifications.
Education and Agriculture programmes have historically recorded lower application pressure and cut-off marks compared to highly competitive courses such as Medicine, Law, and Engineering.
Analysts say the decision could help boost enrolment in critical sectors where Nigeria faces shortages of skilled professionals, particularly in teaching and agriculture.
The announcement also comes amid broader discussions at the ongoing policy meeting, where JAMB is expected to determine the official cut-off marks for the 2026 admission cycle.
