The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has officially discontinued admissions into affiliated degree programmes offered by Colleges of Education, a move that marks a significant change in Nigeria’s teacher education framework.
Beginning with the 2026/2027 academic session, the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) will become the exclusive admission pathway into Colleges of Education across the country.
The directive was contained in JAMB’s newly issued NCE/ND Agric Registration Guidelines released by the Office of the Registrar in June 2026. Under the policy, the Board stated that “no admission into any affiliated programme in any College of Education from 2026/7 Session.”
In addition, JAMB announced the abolition of direct admissions into 100 and 200 levels in Colleges of Education. The Board maintained that all prospective students must now gain entry through the NCE programme. “With effect from 2026/7 Session, no admission into 100 or 200 Level is allowed into any College of Education. All entrants are through NCE,” the Board stated.
The policy effectively brings to a close the long-standing affiliated degree system, which allowed Colleges of Education to award university degrees through partnerships with conventional universities. The change is expected to impact thousands of candidates who applied for degree programmes through affiliated Colleges of Education in the 2026 admission cycle.
To mitigate the effects on affected applicants, JAMB outlined several alternatives for candidates who had already chosen affiliated Colleges of Education for degree programmes through Direct Entry. According to the Board, such candidates may switch institutions free of charge, transfer to the parent university overseeing the affiliated degree programme, or allow their second-choice institution to be elevated to first choice for admission consideration.
“A candidate may choose to be moved to the parent university to which the Degree programme is affiliated,” the Board said.
JAMB further disclosed that candidates seeking to change institutions have until June 22 to complete the process. For applicants pursuing 100-level admission through the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), the Board provided three options: changing institutions, upgrading a second-choice institution to first choice, or transitioning into the NCE programme.
The Board explained that candidates opting for the NCE pathway would need to obtain an O’Level verification code from the appropriate examination body and pay a registration fee of ₦700 through the JAMB portal. “The candidate may be moved to the NCE programme of the institution, on the understanding that the choice of the College of Education indicates an interest in pursuing the NCE qualification,” JAMB explained.
According to the guidelines, applying for NCE admission is regarded as a conscious and deliberate decision. Consequently, candidates who are recommended for NCE admission will have any ongoing UTME or Direct Entry admission processes halted. “Anyone who chooses NCE and s/he is proposed/recommended, would have any ongoing UTME/DE process suspended,” the Board stated.
JAMB also revealed that candidates who applied through the 2026 UTME would have their records automatically transferred to their selected first-choice College of Education or Agric-related Non-Technology National Diploma (ND) programmes.
As part of the new measures, the Board introduced compulsory O’Level verification for all NCE applicants. The verification fee has been fixed at ₦1,500 for candidates presenting results from one sitting and ₦2,000 for those with results from two sittings.
The Board urged Colleges of Education, Institutional Professional Registration Centres (IPRCs), accredited Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres and its personnel nationwide to familiarise themselves with the new guidelines and ensure full compliance. “All PRCs, IPRCs and Officers of the Board are to study the guidelines and ensure strict compliance with the information contained therein,” the Registrar stated.
Affiliated degree programmes have traditionally provided a route for Colleges of Education to offer bachelor’s degrees through partnerships with universities, enabling students to earn university qualifications while studying in Colleges of Education. However, JAMB’s latest policy ends that arrangement for new admissions from the 2026/2027 academic session and reinforces the NCE as the primary qualification for teacher education in Nigeria.
