Nigeria Waives UTME for NCE, ND Students to Boost Admissions

The Nigerian government, represented by the Ministry of Education, has introduced a waiver for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) for candidates seeking admission into National Certificate in Education (NCE) and National Diploma (ND) programs. This policy change is expected to increase admissions by approximately 1.5 million students.

Alausa, a government representative, explained that the decision was made to provide easier access to higher education and reduce admission conditions that previously hindered qualified students from entering institutions. Under the new policy, candidates will no longer need to sit for the UTME if they have four credit passes in relevant subjects.

The government anticipates that this change will create opportunities for nearly 1.5 million additional admissions nationwide. The Ministry of Education had previously noted that the number of students admitted rose from 770,000 to 1.1 million within a year due to earlier policy changes, indicating a positive trend in access to tertiary education.