The spokesperson of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Fabian Benjamin, has clarified that Mathematics is no longer a compulsory requirement for admission into many university courses in Nigeria, stressing that the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) is not the major determinant for admission into tertiary institutions.
According to Benjamin the primary qualification for admission remains five O’Level credits, including English Language and other subjects relevant to a candidate’s chosen course of study.
“Don’t forget that the UTME is not a major determinant of qualification for admission,” Benjamin said.
He explained that the UTME mainly serves as a tool to ensure fairness, transparency, and equal opportunity in the admission process, particularly for competitive courses where available spaces are limited.
“This examination is conducted. It’s a vehicle through which we can create equity, fairness, transparency,” he stated.
Benjamin further noted that while Mathematics remains compulsory for certain science, engineering, and technical courses, several programmes across universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education no longer require the subject as part of their O’Level admission conditions.
“Five O’Level credits, including English and other relevant subjects for the chosen course, remain the major criteria for admission,” he explained.
His comments come amid ongoing discussions among students, parents, and education stakeholders over the role of UTME scores and the evolving admission policies of tertiary institutions across Nigeria.