The Federal Government has approved a new policy that removes the requirement for candidates applying to Colleges of Education for education and non-engineering agriculture programmes to sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
The announcement was made by the spokesperson of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Fabian Benjamin, who stated that the decision was part of resolutions reached at the 2026 JAMB Policy Meeting.
The reform is designed to improve access to teacher training and agriculture-related studies, which are seen as key sectors for national development and human capital growth.
Under the new arrangement, applicants to Colleges of Education in the specified fields will no longer be required to take the UTME as part of the admission process.
The policy is scheduled to take effect from the 2027 admission cycle and is expected to expand opportunities for students interested in teaching and agricultural careers.
However, JAMB clarified that the exemption applies only to Colleges of Education, while universities and polytechnics will still require candidates in similar programmes to sit for the UTME.
