The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has ended new admissions into affiliated degree programmes run by Colleges of Education across Nigeria.
The decision will take effect from the 2026/2027 academic session and is expected to change how candidates gain admission into teacher-training institutions.
The policy is contained in JAMB’s newly released NCE/ND Agric Registration Guidelines, issued by the Office of the Registrar in June 2026.
Under the new arrangement, Colleges of Education will no longer admit new students directly into university-affiliated degree programmes. JAMB said all fresh entrants into Colleges of Education must now come through the Nigeria Certificate in Education, known as NCE.
The Board also stopped direct admission into 100 and 200 levels in Colleges of Education from the 2026/2027 session.
“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,” JAMB stated in the guideline.
The decision marks a major shift in Nigeria’s teacher education system. For many years, several Colleges of Education have offered bachelor’s degree programmes through affiliation with universities. Under that system, students studied at Colleges of Education but graduated with degrees awarded by the affiliated universities.
That pathway has now been closed for new admissions.
The change is likely to affect many candidates who had already applied for affiliated degree programmes through Colleges of Education in the 2026 admission cycle. JAMB has, however, provided options for affected applicants.
According to the Board, candidates who chose affiliated degree programmes through Direct Entry may apply for a change of institution at no cost. They may also be moved to the parent university linked to the degree programme, 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 programme is affiliated,” JAMB said.
The Board added that affected candidates who wish to change institutions have until June 22 to complete the process.
For candidates seeking 100-level admission into affiliated degree programmes through the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, JAMB also listed three options. They may change their institution, promote their second-choice institution to first choice, or move to the NCE programme of the College of Education they selected.
JAMB explained that candidates who choose the NCE route must obtain an O’Level verification code from the relevant examination body and pay only ₦700 as registration fee on the JAMB portal.
The new guideline also states that anyone who chooses NCE and is recommended for admission will have any ongoing UTME or Direct Entry admission process suspended.
For candidates who had already applied through the 2026 UTME mode, JAMB said their details would be automatically moved to their chosen first-choice College of Education or agriculture-related non-technology National Diploma programmes.
The Board also introduced compulsory O’Level verification for all NCE applicants. The verification fee is ₦1,500 for one sitting and ₦2,000 for two sittings.
JAMB directed Colleges of Education, Institutional Professional Registration Centres, accredited CBT centres and its officials across the country to study the new guideline and comply with it.
The latest move follows wider reforms in the education sector. In May, the Federal Government approved the removal of UTME as a requirement for candidates seeking admission into NCE programmes and some agriculture-related non-engineering National Diploma courses. The policy was designed to make teacher education and agriculture programmes more accessible to candidates.
JAMB also said candidates in these categories would still be registered and processed through the Central Admissions Processing System, known as CAPS, before admission letters are issued.
The Guardian had earlier reported that the Federal Government planned to end degree affiliation for Colleges of Education as part of efforts to reduce duplication and strengthen standards in teacher education.
Some of the Colleges of Education likely to be affected include Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo; Federal College of Education, Zaria; Federal College of Education (Technical), Akoka; Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education, Owerri; Federal College of Education (Special), Oyo; and College of Education, Ikere-Ekiti.
Others include Kwara State College of Education, Ilorin; Federal College of Education, Kano; Federal College of Education, Abeokuta; College of Education, Warri; and Federal College of Education (Technical), Asaba.