The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has commenced registration for candidates seeking admission into Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) programmes in Colleges of Education and non-technological agricultural programmes in polytechnics without sitting for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
Under the new Federal Government policy, candidates seeking admission into the affected programmes are exempted from the annual UTME, provided they possess the required O’Level credits.
JAMB, in a statement by its acting director of Public Affairs and Protocol, Fabian Benjamin, PhD, said eligible candidates could register at any designated Institutional Professional Registration Centre (IPRC) located in Colleges of Education or any JAMB Professional Registration Centre (PRC) nationwide.
The Board said it had developed an admission process to ensure that the removal of the UTME requirement did not compromise the quality and standards of the programmes.
“JAMB has developed a robust admission process to ensure that only qualified candidates are admitted, thereby maintaining and enhancing the quality and standards of these programmes,” the statement said.
Candidates are required to present their O’Level credentials at the designated registration centres to complete the process, with no requirement to sit for the UTME.
JAMB urged prospective students to take advantage of the opportunity by visiting the designated registration centres in Colleges of Education or JAMB offices nationwide to complete their registration.
The Board also announced that candidates who sat for the 2026 UTME but subsequently decided to pursue NCE or any of the affected non-technological agricultural programmes could convert their applications at any IPRC or JAMB PRC at no additional cost.
The Board said the policy was designed to expand access to NCE and non-technological agricultural programmes while maintaining the quality and integrity of the admission process.
The development is expected to provide an alternative admission pathway for prospective teachers and students seeking to pursue careers in agriculture without having to participate in the annual UTME.
