The Federal Government, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, is taking decisive action to democratize access to tertiary education and empower Nigerian youths. A comprehensive reform of admission entry requirements into all tertiary institutions across the country has been approved. The policy, driven by the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, CON, represents a bold step in advancing the Renewed Hope Agenda and promoting inclusive education for national development.

Dr. Alausa explains that the reform has become necessary after years of restricted access that left many qualified candidates unable to secure admission. Every year, over two million candidates sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), yet only about 700,000 gain admission. This imbalance, he notes, is not due to a lack of ability but rather to outdated and overly stringent entry requirements that must give way to fairness and opportunity.

The revised National Guidelines for Entry Requirements into Nigerian Tertiary Institutions are designed to remove barriers while maintaining academic standards. The new framework applies to universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and Innovation Enterprise Academies (IEAs) across the country as follows:

• Universities: Minimum of five (5) credit passes in relevant subjects, including English Language, obtained in not more than two sittings. Mathematics is mandatory for Science, Technology, and Social Science courses.

• Polytechnics (ND Level): Minimum of four (4) credit passes in relevant subjects, including English Language for non-science courses and Mathematics for science-related programs.

• Polytechnics (HND Level): Minimum of five (5) credit passes in relevant subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.

• Colleges of Education (NCE Level): Minimum of four (4) credit passes in relevant subjects, with English Language mandatory for Arts and Social Science courses, and Mathematics required for Science, Vocational, and Technical programs.

• Colleges of Education (B.Ed Level): Minimum of five (5) credit passes, including English Language and Mathematics, as applicable to the course of study.

• Innovation Enterprise Academies (IEAs): To adopt the same minimum requirements as Polytechnics for the National Diploma (ND) program. The National Innovation Diploma (NID) is hereby abolished.

In addition, the National Innovation Diploma (NID) previously issued by Innovation Enterprise Academies will be phased out and replaced with the National Diploma (ND) to ensure uniformity, credibility, and progression opportunities for graduates. The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) is currently re-accrediting all IEAs nationwide to align with the new ND standards. Institutions that fail to transition to full accreditation will be de-accredited.