The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has formally ended admissions into affiliated degree programs run by colleges of education, marking a major shift in Nigeria’s teacher education system and effectively making the Nigeria Certificate in Education the sole entry route into the institutions from the 2026/2027 academic session. Scraps
The decision is contained in JAMB’s newly released NCE/ND Agriculture Registration Guidelines issued by the Office of the Registrar in June 2026.
Under the new policy, the board declared “no admission into any affiliated program in any college of education from the 2026/7 session.”
JAMB also ruled out direct admission into 100 and 200 levels in Colleges of Education, insisting that all fresh entrants must now come through the NCE program.
“With effect from the 2026/7 session, no admission into the 100 or 200 level is allowed into any college of education. All entrants are through NCE,” the board stated.
The development signals the end of an era for affiliated degree programs, which for decades enabled colleges of education to award university degrees through partnerships with conventional universities.
The reform is expected to affect thousands of candidates who applied for degree programs through affiliated colleges of education for the 2026 admission cycle.
To cushion the impact, JAMB outlined options for candidates who had already selected affiliated colleges of education for degree programs through direct entry.
According to the board, affected candidates may apply for a change of institution at no cost, transfer to the parent university to which the degree program is affiliated, or allow their second-choice institution to become their first choice for admission processing.
“A candidate may choose to be moved to the parent university to which the degree program is affiliated,” the Board said.
JAMB added that candidates wishing to switch institutions had been given up to June 22 to complete the process.
Similarly, candidates seeking 100-level admission into affiliated colleges of education through the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination have been presented with three options: change institution, elevate their second-choice institution to first choice, or migrate to the NCE program.
The Board said candidates who opt for the NCE route would be required to obtain an O’Level verification code from the relevant examination body and pay only ₦700 as a registration fee on the JAMB portal.
“The candidate may be moved to the NCE program of the institution, on the understanding that the choice of the College of Education indicates an interest in pursuing the NCE qualification,” JAMB explained.
