The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has begun registration for candidates interested in pursuing Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) programmes in Colleges of Education and non-technological agricultural courses in Polytechnics without taking the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
JAMB spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, announced the development in a statement on Thursday, explaining that applicants who meet the required O’Level qualification criteria can register through designated institutional professional registration centres (IPRCs) in Colleges of Education or any JAMB Professional Registration Centre (PRC) across the country.
The registration follows the Federal Government’s decision to remove the UTME requirement for admission into NCE and non-technological agricultural programmes.
Benjamin said JAMB has established an admission process aimed at ensuring that only qualified candidates gain entry into the programmes while maintaining academic standards.
He explained that eligible applicants only need to present their O’Level credentials at approved registration centres to complete the process, adding that sitting for the annual UTME is not compulsory under the new arrangement.
JAMB encouraged interested candidates to take advantage of the opportunity by visiting approved registration centres in Colleges of Education or JAMB offices nationwide.
The board also stated that candidates who participated in the 2026 UTME but later decide to pursue NCE or non-technological agricultural programmes can convert their applications at any IPRC or JAMB PRC without paying additional fees.
The policy is designed to increase access to teacher education and agricultural training programmes while ensuring that admission procedures remain regulated and credible.
The Federal Government had earlier announced the exemption of College of Education applicants from UTME requirements during the 2026 admission policy meeting in Abuja.
Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, said candidates with four relevant O’Level credit passes would be eligible to apply for admission into Colleges of Education without writing UTME, although they would still be required to register with JAMB for verification and processing of admission letters through the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS).
The government also extended the exemption to candidates seeking National Diploma admission into non-technology agricultural and agriculture-related programmes.
However, the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) raised concerns over the policy, warning that poor implementation could affect the quality of teacher training and weaken professional standards in the education sector.
