CLAIM: JAMB is no longer a compulsory requirement for admission into tertiary institutions.

VERDICT: False.

FULL STORY

Numerous social media posts have claimed that the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) organised by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) will no longer be a compulsory requirement for admission into tertiary institutions.

An X page, @NaijaTrend posted 16 hours ago, “BREAKING: JAMB is no longer a

prerequisite for admission into tertiary

institutions, according to the Federal

Ministry of Education.”

Another X user @bashKano said, “JAMB is now voluntary requirement

for the Admission into any Tertiary

Institutions in Nigeria.

No more JAMB – with your 5 relevant

Credits in SSCE, you are good to

study course of your choice!

JAMB is not mandatory

JAMB is no more a requirement”

A screenshot of some of the X posts

Established in 1978, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) oversees the standardised examination for undergraduate applicants of Nigerian universities.

The mandate empowers the Board to “conduct Matriculation Examinations for entry into all Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education in Nigeria.”

The claim, which is circulating across all social media platforms, is coming after the announcement by the Ministry of Education that secondary school students in the Arts and Humanities Department will no longer need to have a credit in Mathematics to be eligible for admission into tertiary institutions.

On Tuesday, 14th of October 2025, the Federal Ministry of Education said that in its efforts to streamline admission process to expand access to tertiary education, Nigerian senior secondary school students in arts and humanities will no longer be required to present a credit in mathematics in their Senior School Certificate Examination, organised by the West African Examination Council and National Examination Council, as a condition for admission to universities and polytechnics.

NDR Fact-Check spoke with the Director of Press and Public Relations of the Federal Ministry of Education, Ms. Boriowo Folasade, in a telephone conversation on Friday, 17th of October, 2025, who said the news is fake and the ministry did not announce such reform. She reiterates that there has been no change in the existing role of JAMB, which remains central and indispensable in Nigeria’s tertiary education framework.

“Any publication or online post claiming otherwise is entirely false and should be treated as such.

Members of the public are encouraged to visit the official websites and social media handles of the Federal Ministry.

She also provided the NDR Fact-Check with a copy of the ministry’s statement, debunking the claim

CONCLUSION

The claim that JAMB has been removed as a part of the requirements to be eligible for admission into tertiary institutions in Nigeria is false.

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