The Federal Government has announced that Nigerian senior secondary school students in arts and humanities are no longer required to present a credit in mathematics in their Senior School Certificate Examination, organised by the West African Examination Council and National Examination Council, as a condition for admission to universities and polytechnics.
The spokesperson of the Federal Ministry of Education (FME),Folasade Boriowo,made the announcement in a statement on Tueday, October 14,2025.
For years, admission seekers in arts and humanities, like their contemporaries in sciences and social sciences, have been mandated to have five credits, including mathematics and English language, to secure admission into higher institutions.
However, Boriowo said, “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 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,”
Boriowo quoted the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, as describing the reform as a deliberate effort to expand access to tertiary education.
