The Federal Ministry of Education has announced that students seeking admission into arts and humanities programmes in Nigerian universities and polytechnics will no longer be required to have a credit in Mathematics in the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE).
According to the Ministry, the new policy applies to candidates taking examinations conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO).
The new development was revealed in a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja by the Ministry’s spokesperson, Folasade Boriowo.
Before now, all admission seekers—regardless of their field of study were required to have at least five credit passes, including Mathematics and English Language, to qualify for entry into higher institutions.
With this policy change, Mathematics is no longer a compulsory subject for candidates pursuing arts and humanities courses.
The statement reads: “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,” the statement said.
The Ministry noted that the move is intended to remove unnecessary barriers for students and ensure a more inclusive admission process.
