JAMB Commences Registration for NCE, Agriculture ND Aspirants Under New Admission Policy

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has commenced the registration of candidates seeking admission into Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) programmes in Colleges of Education and National Diploma (ND) programmes in non-technological agriculture-related courses without requiring them to sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

The development follows the Federal Government's approval exempting applicants into the affected programmes from writing the UTME as part of efforts to increase access to teacher education and agriculture-related courses.

JAMB's Public Communication Adviser, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, disclosed that qualified candidates who possess the required O'Level credits can now complete their registration at any Institutional Professional Registration Centre (IPRC) located in Colleges of Education or any accredited JAMB Professional Registration Centre (PRC) across the country.

According to the board, applicants are only required to present their O'Level results during registration, as there is no obligation to participate in the annual UTME before being considered for admission into the approved programmes.

JAMB explained that despite the exemption, an admission framework has been established to ensure that only qualified candidates are admitted while maintaining the integrity and quality of the programmes.

The board also announced that candidates who had already participated in the 2026 UTME but later decided to pursue NCE or eligible agriculture-related ND programmes can convert their applications at designated registration centres without paying any additional fee.

JAMB encouraged all eligible candidates to take advantage of the registration exercise by visiting the approved centres nationwide to process their applications.

The policy was first announced by the Federal Government during the 2026 National Admission Policy Meeting in Abuja. At the meeting, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, stated that candidates with a minimum of four credit passes in relevant O'Level subjects would be eligible to apply for admission into Colleges of Education without sitting for the UTME.

He, however, clarified that such applicants must still register with JAMB to enable the board conduct the necessary screening, verification, and certification of their credentials before admission letters can be processed through the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS).