Nigeria's Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has sounded an alarm about the country's growing education crisis, revealing that rigid admission requirements for tertiary institutions are creating a massive population of out-of-school adolescents.
The minister expressed deep concern that this development poses a grave danger to the nation's future, as countless young Nigerians find themselves unable to secure university placements year after year.
The Admission Bottleneck Crisis
Dr. Alausa highlighted the severe discrepancy between the number of candidates seeking higher education and available spaces. Over two million young Nigerians sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) annually, yet only approximately 700,000 successfully gain admission into tertiary institutions.
This alarming gap is worsened by the low carrying capacity of existing universities and colleges, combined with inflexible admission policies that shut out many qualified candidates.
The minister described the dangerous consequence of this situation: "Many young Nigerians, frustrated by their inability to gain admission year after year, now roam the streets" - a scenario he labeled as perilous for national stability.
Breaking Down Barriers: The New Admission Framework
In response to this crisis, the Federal Ministry of Education has implemented sweeping reforms to the national guidelines for entry into Nigerian tertiary institutions. The revised framework aims to remove unnecessary barriers while maintaining academic excellence.
The landmark changes include removing Mathematics as a mandatory requirement for admission into arts-related courses and similarly dropping English as a compulsory requirement for science-related courses.
Additionally, the policy reduces the number of credit passes needed for admission into colleges of education and polytechnics from five to four subjects.
Dr. Alausa explained that these reforms became imperative after years of restricted access prevented numerous qualified candidates from pursuing higher education. "The streamlining of O-level admission guidelines aims to modernise Nigeria's education system and align it with global best practices", the Minister stated.
He clarified that while the credit requirements have been adjusted, all students will still be required to register and sit for both English and Mathematics examinations.
Academic Backlash and National Concerns
The Nigerian Mathematical Society (NMS) has strongly opposed the policy change, particularly the removal of mathematics as a compulsory requirement for arts and humanities students.
Professor Godwin Mbah, President of the society, warned that this decision could have serious implications for Nigeria's educational standards, cognitive development, and long-term national growth.
Mathematics remains a universal language of reasoning and foundational tool for intellectual development across all disciplines, according to Prof. Mbah.
The academic emphasized that mathematics enhances analytical reasoning, precision, critical thinking, creativity, and structured problem-solving skills - all competencies he described as vital even in Arts and Humanities fields.
Professor Mbah cautioned that the policy could trigger negative behavioral patterns among secondary school students, including:
- Loss of interest in mathematics
- Increased fear and avoidance of numeracy
- Poor performance in national examinations
- Disrespect for mathematics teachers
- Early neglect of the subject
The society also highlighted broader national implications, including reduced graduate employability in today's technology-driven economy, lowered academic standards in higher institutions, and the risk of widening social inequality between quantitatively literate and illiterate citizens.
Prof. Mbah described the policy as potentially detrimental to Nigeria's aspirations for economic growth, innovation, and data-driven governance, arguing that mathematics literacy is essential for competitiveness in the 21st century.
The NMS has appealed to the Federal Government and education regulators to reconsider the policy, insisting that maintaining mathematics as a compulsory requirement for all university applicants is critical to sustaining national development and educational integrity.
