The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has officially discontinued admissions into affiliated degree programmes offered by Colleges of Education across Nigeria, introducing a significant policy shift that takes effect from the 2027/2028 academic session. Under the new arrangement, the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) will become the only recognised admission pathway into Colleges of Education.
The development was announced in JAMB’s newly released NCE/ND Agriculture Registration Guidelines issued by the Office of the Registrar. The guidelines also abolish direct admissions into both 100-level and 200-level degree programmes in all Colleges of Education nationwide, effectively bringing an end to the long-standing affiliation system.
The policy is expected to impact thousands of admission seekers who selected affiliated Colleges of Education for degree studies during the current admission exercise. To minimise the disruption, JAMB has provided affected candidates with three alternative options to continue their admission process.
According to the Board, candidates who applied through the Direct Entry (DE) route may opt for a free change of institution, transfer their admission to the parent university affiliated with their chosen degree programme, or permit their second-choice institution to become their first-choice institution for admission processing.
“A candidate may choose to be moved to the parent university to which the Degree programme is affiliated,” the Board stated.
JAMB explained that the same alternatives are also available to Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) candidates seeking admission into 100-level degree programmes through affiliated Colleges of Education. In addition, affected UTME candidates may choose to switch to the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) programme offered by the same institution.
The Board further clarified that candidates who decide to migrate to the NCE programme must first obtain an O’Level verification code from the relevant examination body before completing the process. JAMB disclosed that registration on its portal will attract a fee of ₦700, while O’Level verification will cost ₦1,500 for candidates presenting one sitting and ₦2,000 for those using two sittings.
JAMB also warned candidates that opting for the NCE admission pathway comes with an important implication. Once a candidate is successfully recommended for admission into an NCE programme, any ongoing UTME or Direct Entry admission application will automatically be suspended.
“Anyone who chooses NCE and is proposed or recommended for admission will have any ongoing UTME or Direct Entry admission process suspended,” the Board explained.
The admission body stated that all requests for changes of institution under the new policy were expected to be completed on or before 22 June 2028. It also instructed Professional Registration Centres (PRCs), Institutional Professional Registration Centres (IPRCs), and all JAMB field officers to familiarise themselves with the new guidelines and ensure strict compliance during implementation.
“All PRCs, IPRCs and Officers of the Board are directed to study the guidelines carefully and ensure full compliance with the information contained therein,” the Registrar stated.
For several decades, affiliated degree programmes enabled Colleges of Education to award bachelor’s degrees through formal academic partnerships with conventional universities across the country. However, with JAMB’s latest directive, that arrangement has officially come to an end for all new applicants beginning with the 2027/2028 admission cycle, marking one of the most significant reforms in Nigeria’s tertiary admission system in recent years.
