JAMB Begins UTME-Free Registration for NCE, Agriculture Applicants
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has started the registration of candidates for admission into the National Certificate in Education (NCE) programmes and non-technological National Diploma (ND) programmes related to agriculture without requiring them to sit the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
The transfer will be expected to provide greater opportunities for young people, particularly school leavers who are interested in becoming teachers or working in agriculture.
The eligible candidates with the required O’Level credits may register at any of the Institutional Professional Registration Centres (IPRCs) in colleges of education or any JAMB Professional Registration Centre (PRCs) across the country, said the JAMB spokesman, Fabian Benjamin.
He said the registration procedure was in accordance with the Federal Government’s directive to waive UTME for all candidates who applied for NCE and non-technological agriculture related ND programmes, but only those who are qualified will be admitted.
Those who have already written the UTME in 2026 but want to study these programmes can also make the conversion at the designated centres without any additional fee.
The Federal Government earlier this year announced that candidates who had at least four relevant O’Level credit passes would be allowed to gain admission to colleges of education without sitting for the UTME, but would go through JAMB’s screening and credential verification process.
The policy aims to enhance access to teacher education and agriculture programmes. The Nigeria Union of Teachers, however, has called on the government to guarantee the quality of teacher training in the new admission process.
