Mathematics Requirement Dropped for Arts and Humanities Students in Tertiary Institutions

The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Education, today announced a landmark reform to the admission requirements for tertiary institutions, declaring that a credit pass in Mathematics is no longer compulsory for students seeking admission into Arts and Humanities courses.

This directive is part of the revised National Guidelines for Entry Requirements into Nigerian Tertiary Institutions, which applies to all universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and Innovation Enterprise Academies across the country.

The Ministry’s spokesperson, Folasade Boriowo, confirmed the policy shift in a statement released on Tuesday in Abuja. For years, admission seekers in the Arts and Humanities streams were required to meet the same stringent criteria as their counterparts in Science and Social Sciences, which mandated five credit passes, including both Mathematics and the English Language.

The new framework, however, clearly distinguishes between the requirements for different academic disciplines:

• Universities: A minimum of five credit passes in relevant subjects, including the English Language, obtained in not more than two sittings, is required. Mathematics remains mandatory only for Science, Technology, and Social Science courses.
• Polytechnics (ND Level): Four credit passes are required, with English Language mandatory for non-science courses and Mathematics for science-related programs.
• Colleges of Education (NCE Level): Four credit passes are required, with English Language compulsory for Arts and Social Science courses, while Mathematics is required for Science, Vocational, and Technical programs.

The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, described the reform as a strategic move to “expand access to tertiary education” by removing unnecessary academic hurdles without compromising overall quality. Education analysts have hailed the reform as a “brilliant” step that will improve the ease of admissions for many qualified candidates who previously struggled to secure a credit pass in the subject.