No UTME Required as JAMB Opens Registration for NCE, Non-tech Agriculture Programmes

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has commenced registration for candidates seeking admission into Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) and Non-Technological Agricultural programmes.

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has commenced registration for candidates seeking admission into Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) and Non-Technological Agricultural programmes.

According to the board, the Federal Government has waived the UTME requirement for applicants seeking admission into the programmes.

The announcement was contained in a statement signed by JAMB’s Acting Director of Public Affairs and Protocol, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, on Thursday.

What JAMB is saying

The board said it has developed a structured admission process to ensure only qualified candidates are admitted under the new policy, preserving programme quality despite the removal of the UTME requirement.

• “The Federal Government has waived the requirement for candidates seeking admission into NCE and Non-Technological Agricultural Programmes to sit the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination,” the statement read.
• Consequently, JAMB has developed a robust admission process to ensure that only qualified candidates are admitted, thereby maintaining and enhancing the quality and standards of these programmes,” it added.

JAMB said eligible candidates only need to visit any designated Institutional Professional Registration Centre in a College of Education or any JAMB Professional Registration Centre nationwide with their O’Level credentials to complete registration.

• “Under this policy, eligible candidates only need to visit any designated IPRC or JAMB PRC with their O’Level credentials to complete their registration. There is no requirement to sit for the annual UTME,” JAMB said.

The board said the UTME waiver is designed to expand access to NCE and Non-Technological Agricultural programmes while maintaining the quality and standards of those educational pathways through a robust alternative admission process.

More insights

JAMB encouraged eligible candidates to seize opportunity by visiting designated registration centres.

• “Candidates are therefore encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity by promptly visiting the designated registration centres in Colleges of Education or JAMB offices nationwide to complete their registration,” it added.

On conversion for existing UTME candidates, JAMB said those who already sat the 2026 examination but wish to switch to NCE or Non-Technological Agricultural programmes are accommodated at no extra cost.

• “Candidates who sat for the 2026 UTME but have decided to pursue NCE or any Non-Technological Agricultural Programmes can visit any IPRC or JAMB PRC to convert their application at no additional cost,” the statement said.

What you should know

Last month, Nairametrics reported that JAMB had released the results of the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) mop-up exercise, clearing the way for the commencement of the admission process into tertiary institutions.

JAMB announced the release in a statement issued by its Public Communication Advisor, Dr. Fabian Benjamin.

The mop-up examination, held on Saturday, June 13, 2026, was organised for candidates who were unable to complete the main UTME due to various technical and logistical challenges.