The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has scrapped affiliated degree programmes run by Colleges of Education, making the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) the sole entry route into these institutions from the 2026/2027 academic session. The reform affects thousands of candidates who had applied for degrees through affiliated colleges this year.
What the new policy says
The change is contained in JAMB’s newly released NCE/ND Agric Registration Guidelines, issued by the Office of the Registrar in June 2026. The board declared that there will be no admission into any affiliated programme in any College of Education from the 2026/2027 session. It also ruled out direct admission into 100 and 200 levels, insisting that all fresh entrants must now come through the NCE programme.
For decades, affiliated degree programmes allowed Colleges of Education to award university degrees in partnership with conventional universities. The new directive brings that long-standing pathway to an end for fresh applicants.
Options for affected candidates
To cushion the impact, JAMB outlined choices for Direct Entry candidates who had selected affiliated colleges for degree programmes. They may apply for a change of institution at no cost, transfer to the parent university to which the degree is affiliated, or allow their second-choice institution to become their first choice for admission processing. Candidates were given until June 22 to complete the switch.
Similar options were extended to UTME candidates who had chosen 100-level degree programmes in affiliated colleges, including changing institutions or elevating a second-choice institution to first choice.
Automatic migration and the NCE route
JAMB said the details of candidates who applied through the 2026 UTME would be automatically migrated to their chosen first-choice College of Education, or to Agric-related non-technology National Diploma programmes where applicable. Anyone who opts for the NCE and is recommended for admission will have any ongoing UTME or Direct Entry process suspended, since the board treats every NCE application as a deliberate choice.
Mandatory O’Level verification
The board also introduced compulsory O’Level verification for all NCE applicants, fixing the fee at 1,500 naira for one sitting and 2,000 naira for two sittings. It directed Colleges of Education, registration centres, accredited CBT centres and its officials nationwide to study the guidelines and ensure strict compliance.
What it means for students and colleges
For prospective students, the immediate task is to review their choices before the stated deadlines and decide whether to pursue the NCE or move to a degree-awarding university. The shift reinforces the NCE as the foundational qualification for teacher education in Nigeria.
For the colleges, it marks a return to their core teacher-training mandate, ending years of operating as degree-awarding centres through university affiliations. The coming admission cycle will be the first to run fully under the new rules.
