The excitement among Arts and Humanities students following reports that Mathematics was no longer compulsory for admission into tertiary institutions has been short-lived, as the Federal Government has clarified that the subject remains mandatory.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Director of Press and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Education, Boriowo Folasade, reaffirmed that both English Language and Mathematics remain compulsory for all O’Level candidates.
This clarification comes days after the government had announced that Mathematics would no longer be a mandatory requirement for students applying to study Arts and Humanities courses at universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and Innovation Enterprise Institutions across Nigeria.
However, the Ministry, in a statement titled “English and Mathematics remain compulsory for all O’Level students — FG clarifies streamlined admission requirements,” said the reform was misunderstood.
“The Federal Ministry of Education has clarified that all students must continue to register and sit for English Language and Mathematics in their O-Level examinations,” the statement read.
It explained that the new policy only streamlines admission requirements to make them more inclusive and flexible, without removing the need to take these core subjects.
Education Minister Dr. Tunji Alausa said the reform aims to promote fairness in tertiary education by ensuring capable students are not denied admission over weaknesses in non-core subjects, while also aligning Nigeria’s education system with global best practices.
He added that although certain programmes may not require credit passes in both English and Mathematics for admission, students must still register and sit for the two subjects.
The Ministry urged students, parents, and stakeholders to rely only on official communication channels for verified information on education policies.
