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FG drops mathematics as compulsory subject for arts and humanities admissions
The federal government has declared that Mathematics will no longer be mandatory for those applying to higher education institutions for programs in Arts and Humanities.
This updated rule, introduced on Tuesday by the Federal Ministry of Education, affects admission standards for universities, polytechnics, teacher training colleges, and specialized innovation schools throughout Nigeria.
According to a release from Folasade Boriowo, the ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, the refreshed National Guidelines for Admission into Nigerian Higher Education aim to remove unneeded obstacles while upholding educational quality.
In the new system, applicants for Arts and Humanities fields need only credits in pertinent subjects, such as English Language, whereas Mathematics stays essential for Science, Technology, and Social Science areas.
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At the polytechnic level, entrants must achieve at least four credit passes, with English Language required for non-science tracks and Mathematics for science-oriented ones. Both Mathematics and English continue to be obligatory for Higher National Diploma candidates.
For entry into Colleges of Education, English Language is essential for Arts and Social Science paths, while Mathematics is needed for Science, Vocational, and Technical courses.
The same criteria apply to Innovation Enterprise Academies (IEAs) as they do for Polytechnics in the National Diploma program.
Additionally, the government has discontinued the National Innovation Diploma (NID).
Furthermore, officials stated that the National Industrial Diploma (NID), once offered by IEAs, will be gradually replaced by the National Diploma (ND) to promote consistency, reliability, and better opportunities for graduates.
They noted that the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) is currently reviewing and accrediting all IEAs across the nation to match the new ND requirements. Any institutions that do not meet these standards will lose their accreditation.
Dr. Tunji Alausa, the Education Minister, explained that this initiative is part of a broader push to increase accessibility and foster a more equitable higher education environment.
He pointed out that after prolonged limitations, many capable students have been unable to enroll, creating an imbalance.
“Every year, over two million candidates sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), yet only about 700,000 gain admission. This imbalance, he notes, is not due to a lack of ability but rather to outdated and overly stringent entry requirements that must give way to fairness and opportunity.
“The reform is a deliberate effort to expand access to tertiary education, creating opportunities for additional 250,000 to 300,000 additional students to be admitted to our Tertiary Institutions each year. It reflects a firm commitment to ensuring that every Nigerian youth has a fair chance to learn, grow, and succeed, putting the Renewed Hope Agenda into action,” the statement said.
It added: “The revised National Guidelines for Entry Requirements into Nigerian Tertiary Institutions are designed to remove barriers while maintaining academic standards. The new framework applies to universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and Innovation Enterprise Academies (IEAs) across the country.
The minister emphasized that standardizing admission rules would help lower the number of youths not in school, enhance vocational and technical education, and bring Nigeria’s higher education in line with international and industry expectations.
He stressed that the nation’s young people are vital to its future, and the government is dedicated to providing them with the necessary education and skills for success and contributions to the country’s growth.
“The Federal Government remains steadfast in its commitment to inclusive education, human capital development, and youth empowerment in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” the statement added.
The echoes of the drums rolled out to celebrate the rescue of the 44 teachers and students, kidnapped from some schools in Oyo State, after 56 days in the bush, would surely be disrupted abruptly, with the divergent echoes of a fresh abduction, this time coming from Kogi State.
Reports indicate that the gunmen, struck on Tuesday at the Government Secondary School, Odo-Ekina, in Dekina Local Government Area of the state, abducting four students, the school principal and a National Examinations Council (NECO) ad hoc staff member.
Authorities of the Kogi State Police Command, who immediately unleashed their operatives in hot pursuit of the abductors, said the attack occurred at about 5:25 p.m. while the students were writing their NECO examination.
Saliu Oyiza Afusat, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) and spokesman of the command, said a combined team of police personnel and other security agencies has launched a search-and-rescue operation following the incident.
Informing that one of the students was actually rescued immediately, she said efforts were ongoing to secure the release of the remaining victims and apprehend the attackers, adding that Naziru Bello Kankarofi, the state Commissioner of Police, alongside the Brigade Commander and the State Security Adviser to the Governor, Commodore Jerry Omodara (Rtd), were already on the way to the scene for an on-the-spot assessment.
Oil prices are expected to go down now with the announcement of Donald Trump, US President that he will no longer impose a 20 percent “safe passage” fee on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
The POTUS, hinged his reversal of the decision on the intervention from some Gulf countries, who pleaded with him not to toe the line due to the massive economic impact the decision would make on the region.
Indeed, oil prices had shot up immediately Trump announced the new levy on Monday while declaring the US ‘the guardians of the Hormuz strait,’ a measure which he said was to pay for the cost of guarding the volatile area in order keep supply of oil flowing.
Reports said that Gulf allies of the US worked frantically to get Trump on the phone in time to talk him out of the idea altogether, while a flurry of appeals came from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar.
In response, the POTUS, posting on his Truth Social platform, wrote: “Based on highly productive conversations with Middle East leadership, I have decided to replace the 20% United States Reimbursement Fee with Trade and Investment Deals that the various Gulf States will be making into the United States.”
Trump, who said the investments would be “MASSIVE but, at the same time, extraordinarily good for them, and their future,” added that the deals would see factories, plants, and equipment pour into the US at “Historic levels.”
The Gulf nations have committed to invest trillions of dollars in the US, though it remains unclear how much of that they will actually spend over the next several years.
Meanwhile, the US continues to bomb Iran in what appears to be a resumption of active conflict between both countries, despite an ongoing roadmap to end the conflict.
Reports say operatives of the Osun State Police Command, and those of the Department of State Services (DSS) had tracking the trail of Adeniyi Adeyemi, controversial Director General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), for weeks, before he was eventually pulled out of his hole on Tuesday.
However, the duo, were said to have pulled back after failing to track him through his mobile phones, which he had reportedly switched off for about two days, making it difficult to locate him, leaving the stage for the members of the Police Intelligence Response Team (PI-RT) led by Moses Lohor, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP).
Lohor, said to have previously served as the Commander of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad of Osun State, and reported to have been involved in high-profile security operations and controversies, after taken over fielded his men to pick up signals from their well-oiled signal networks.
Regarded by many Osun residents as one of the key security officers who contributed significantly to the peace and stability enjoyed in Ilesa and other parts of the state during his tenure, he was said to have relied on his contacts before his transfer out of the state, said to have raised concerns from the public about the security situation he would be leaving behind.
His exit from the state was said to be hinged on an incident in 2024, in which he allegedly shot one Iyanda Alowonle, then Chairman of Osun State Motor Transport System, in the stomach at the police station in the state prompting an order for his arrest by then Inspector General of Police (IGP).
His effort was said to have paid off when he successfully tracked down the controversial PFIPC, boss, who was seen on Tuesday evening, in a shot video on social media undergoing interrogation, and eventually handed him over to Ibrahim Gotan, Commissioner of Police in the state.
The PUNCH quoted one of the sources as saying: “The arrest (of Adeyemi) took place on Tuesday morning by the IRT squad, who immediately moved him to Abuja. After he was arrested, he was taken to Ibadan and from there to Abuja.”
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