FG Scraps UTME Requirement for Federal Colleges of Education Admissions

The Federal Government has announced that candidates seeking admission into Federal Colleges of Education across Nigeria will no longer be required to sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

The decision marks a significant policy shift aimed at widening access to teacher education and selected technical disciplines in the country.
The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, disclosed this during the 2026 Policy Meeting of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board held in Abuja.
He also declared that any admission conducted outside the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) is illegal, warning tertiary institutions nationwide that any violation of approved admission procedures would attract sanctions.
Dr. Alausa explained that although the UTME requirement has been removed, applicants must still possess the minimum O’Level qualifications and undergo JAMB screening for documentation, verification, and admission placement, stressing that the era of unregulated practices must come to an end.
Earlier in his remarks, the Registrar of JAMB, Ishaq Oloyede, called for the collective commitment of all stakeholders to ensure the success of the 2025 admission exercise.
He also commended the efforts of the Ministers of Education in transforming the sector in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.