JAMB opens registration for NCE and non-technological agric programmes, to enjoy UTME waivers
By Uji A Iliyasu, Abuja
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has commenced registration for candidates seeking admission into Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) programmes at Colleges of Education, as well as Non-Technological Agricultural Programmes offered at polytechnics nationwide.
Acting Director of Public Affairs and Protocol/Public Communications Adviser at JAMB, Dr Fabian Benjamin, said interested candidates can register at any Institutional Professional Registration Centre (IPRC) domiciled within Colleges of Education, or at any JAMB Professional Registration Centre (PRC) across the country, provided they possess the requisite O’Level credits.
The registration exercise follows the Federal Government’s earlier decision to waive the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) requirement for candidates aspiring to these two categories of programmes.
In place of the examination, JAMB says it has instituted an alternative admission process designed to safeguard quality while widening access for prospective students.
Under the new arrangement, eligible candidates are not required to sit the annual UTME. Instead, they need only to present their O’Level credentials at a designated IPRC or JAMB PRC to complete their registration.
The Board also disclosed a provision for candidates who already sat the 2026 UTME but have since opted to pursue NCE or Non-Technological Agricultural Programmes instead. Such candidates, it said, may visit any IPRC or JAMB PRC to convert their existing applications at no additional cost.
JAMB urged all qualified candidates to take prompt advantage of the window by visiting the nearest registration centre, whether domiciled in a College of Education or a JAMB office, to avoid last-minute rush.
Dr Benjamin explained that the policy forms part of the Board’s broader objective of expanding access to teacher education and agricultural training pathways, while ensuring that only candidates who meet the requisite standards are admitted into the affected programmes.