Recently, on the 14th October 2025, the Federal Government of Nigeria introduced a major change to university admission requirements through the Federal Ministry of Education’s Revised National Guidelines for Entry Requirements into Nigerian Tertiary Institutions.
Under the new directive, Mathematics is no longer compulsory for students applying to Arts and Humanities programmes in universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education across the
country. This adjustment marks one of the most significant education policy shifts in recent years.
The New Admission Framework
The revised guideline separates admission requirements based on discipline. Mathematics remains a mandatory subject for applicants in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Social Science programmes.
However, for candidates applying to Arts and Humanities courses — including English, Fine
Arts, Theatre Arts, Linguistics, History, and Religious Studies — Mathematics is no longer a
compulsory subject for admission consideration.
English Language remains compulsory for all candidates, regardless of discipline. This policy revision reflects the government’s commitment to ensuring that admission processes recognise diverse academic strengths and that students with strong creative and linguistic skills are not excluded because of one subject.
Rationale Behind the Change
For many years, Mathematics has been treated as a core requirement for nearly all courses in Nigerian tertiary institutions. The new guideline redefines this approach, focusing instead on subject relevance to specific disciplines.
The policy acknowledges that the Arts and Humanities rely more heavily on communication,
analysis, and interpretation rather than advanced mathematical reasoning. This differentiation
aligns Nigeria’s tertiary admission structure more closely with global education standards, where
entry requirements are discipline-specific.
Implementation and Scope
The Federal Ministry of Education has directed all tertiary institutions to adopt the revised framework in their admission processes. The implementation covers universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education nationwide.
Institutions offering Arts or Humanities programmes are expected to update their admission
criteria to reflect this change, ensuring that applicants without a credit in Mathematics but with
strong performance in relevant Arts subjects are eligible for admission.
Mathematics remains compulsory in the national curriculum at the basic and senior secondary school levels, and all students are still required to study it. The policy only affects tertiary admission requirements, not classroom instruction or curriculum content.
Areas Where Mathematics Remains Compulsory
The change does not apply to:
Science, Technology, and Engineering programmes
Social Science and Business-related fields such as Accounting, Economics, and Management
Technical and vocational education programmes
In these disciplines, Mathematics continues to serve as a foundational subject due to its role in logical reasoning, measurement, data interpretation, and problem-solving.
Implications for Students and Schools
This development is expected to broaden access to higher education for students in the Arts and Humanities who previously faced challenges meeting Mathematics requirements. It may also encourage greater enrolment in creative and cultural disciplines.
For secondary schools, the policy provides an opportunity to strengthen subject counselling,
helping students choose subject combinations that match their strengths and career paths.
Looking Ahead
The new admission policy marks a step toward a more inclusive education system in Nigeria. It
emphasises the importance of aligning admission criteria with course relevance, promoting
fairness, and recognising that excellence can take different forms.
While Mathematics continues to hold a central place in Nigeria’s curriculum, its removal as a
compulsory subject for Arts and Humanities admissions reflects a broader shift — one that values diversity of talent and seeks to make education more accessible to all learners.
