The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has commenced registration for candidates seeking admission into Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) programmes and non-technological National Diploma (ND) courses in agriculture and agriculture-related fields without requiring them to sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
The development was announced in a statement issued on Thursday by JAMB’s Public Communication Advisor, Fabian Benjamin.
According to Benjamin, the registration follows the Federal Government’s decision to exempt candidates applying for NCE programmes and non-technological agricultural courses from writing the UTME.
He explained that eligible candidates with the required O’Level credits can register at any JAMB Professional Registration Centre nationwide or at Institutional Professional Registration Centres located within tertiary institutions.
Benjamin said JAMB has put in place an admission framework to ensure that only qualified candidates are admitted while maintaining the quality and integrity of the affected programmes.
Under the new policy, candidates are only required to present their O’Level results at designated registration centres to complete the admission process, without participating in the annual UTME.
He urged eligible applicants to take advantage of the opportunity by registering at approved centres across the country.
The JAMB spokesperson also disclosed that candidates who had already participated in the 2026 UTME but later decided to pursue NCE or eligible agriculture-related programmes could convert their applications at any designated registration centre at no additional cost.
He noted that the policy is intended to expand access to teacher education and agriculture-related programmes while preserving academic standards.
The Federal Government had earlier announced the policy in May during the 2026 admission policy meeting held in Abuja.
Speaking at the meeting, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, said candidates with at least four credit passes in relevant O’Level subjects would no longer be required to sit the UTME before gaining admission into colleges of education.
He, however, explained that such candidates must still register with JAMB for screening, verification and certification of their credentials before admission letters are issued through the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS).
The minister also extended the exemption to applicants seeking admission into National Diploma programmes in non-technological agriculture and agriculture-related disciplines, saying the move is aimed at increasing enrolment in the affected programmes.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has expressed reservations over the policy, cautioning that inadequate implementation could undermine the quality of teacher education and professionalism in the teaching sector.