The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced the end of admissions into degree programmes run by Colleges of Education through affiliations with universities, marking another major change in Nigeria’s tertiary education system.
The decision was announced during the 2026 Policy Meeting on Admissions in Abuja and is part of ongoing reforms aimed at strengthening the National Certificate in Education pathway and improving teacher training in the country.
Under the affiliation arrangement, Colleges of Education partnered with universities to award bachelor’s degrees to students.
However, the Federal Government has now directed that such admissions should stop as authorities push colleges to focus on their core mandate of training teachers through NCE programmes.
The latest move comes weeks after the government announced that candidates seeking admission into NCE programmes would no longer be required to sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination if they possess the required qualifications.
Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, had said, “Candidates seeking admission into the NCE programme, who possess a minimum of four credit passes, will no longer be required to sit for the UTME.”
He added that such candidates must still register with JAMB, stressing that their credentials would be “screened, verified, and certified” before admission letters are issued through the Central Admissions Processing System.
According to the minister, the reforms are designed to expand access to higher education while maintaining standards.
He said the approach would “ease the pressure associated with UTME” and encourage more students to pursue teacher education, which he described as critical to national development.
Education stakeholders are expected to closely watch how the new policy affects admissions and enrolment in Colleges of Education across the country.
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