Critics Say UTME Waiver Won’t Solve Low Interest in Education, Agric Courses

The decision by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board to exempt candidates seeking admission into education and agriculture-related programmes from sitting for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination has sparked concerns among education stakeholders, with analysts warning that the policy may further weaken academic standards in Nigeria’s tertiary education system.

JAMB announced the development on Monday following its 2026 annual policy meeting on admissions, where guidelines and admission procedures for tertiary institutions were reviewed.

According to the board, candidates applying for education programmes as well as non-engineering agriculture-related courses in colleges of education and polytechnics would no longer be required to sit for the UTME.

Speaking at the 2026 Policy Meeting on Admissions to Tertiary Institutions in Abuja, the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, explained that candidates seeking admission into the Nigeria Certificate in Education programme with a minimum of four credit passes would also be exempted from writing the examination, although they would still be required to register with JAMB.

The minister, however, clarified that such candidates would undergo credential screening and verification through JAMB’s Central Admissions Processing System before admission letters are issued in line with existing regulations.

Alausa added that the exemption would also cover candidates seeking admission into National Diploma programmes in non-technology agricultural courses, describing the initiative as part of efforts to expand access to tertiary education while preserving admission integrity.

“This approach strikes a necessary balance between widening access and preserving the integrity of our admission system,” the minister said, adding that the policy would encourage more candidates to embrace teacher education and agriculture programmes, which he described as critical to national development.

The latest policy marks a major shift in Nigeria’s admission process, as the UTME has for decades remained the standard qualifying examination for admission into universities, polytechnics and colleges of education across the country.

However, education analysts have faulted the move, arguing that exempting candidates from the UTME amounts to a lowering of admission standards rather than a genuine solution to dwindling interest in education and agriculture-related courses.

They noted that education and agriculture programmes have historically attracted lower admission cut-off marks compared to highly competitive courses such as medicine, law and engineering, largely as a strategy to boost enrolment in the sectors.

Critics insist that if education and agriculture are truly vital to national development, the government should focus on making the programmes more attractive through meaningful incentives rather than reducing entry requirements.

Analysts further warned that admitting candidates with four credit passes instead of the traditional five into NCE programmes could worsen concerns over the quality of graduates entering the teaching profession.

According to stakeholders, teaching requires highly competent and motivated individuals, stressing that continuous relaxation of admission criteria risks producing teachers and agriculturists who lack the passion and competence needed to excel in their professions.

Observers also recalled that concerns over declining admission standards were among the reasons universities introduced post-UTME screening exercises years ago to independently assess candidates beyond their UTME scores.

They argued that the current waiver may fail to address the root causes of candidates’ apathy towards education and agriculture courses, describing the policy as a temporary measure incapable of delivering long-term results.

Instead, experts recommended strategic incentives such as scholarships, teaching practice allowances, rural posting incentives, soft loans and automatic employment opportunities for graduates in agriculture and education-related disciplines.

They pointed to reforms introduced during the tenure of former Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, including teaching practice allowances and rural incentives for teachers, as examples of policies that could have strengthened interest in the teaching profession if fully sustained.

Stakeholders maintained that improving welfare, career prospects and funding in the sectors would naturally attract high-performing candidates without the need to weaken admission standards.

They urged the Federal Government to prioritise sustainable reforms capable of restoring confidence in education and agriculture programmes rather than relying on repeated policy adjustments that could undermine the credibility of the nation’s tertiary admission system.