The Federal Ministry of Education has announced a major policy shift, declaring that Mathematics will no longer be a compulsory subject for Arts students seeking admission into universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education across Nigeria.
The decision, revealed in a statement on Sunday, follows extensive consultations with key education stakeholders, including the National Universities Commission (NUC), National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), and National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE).
According to the ministry, the move is aimed at promoting flexibility in tertiary admission requirements and ensuring that the country’s education system better reflects the diverse skill sets needed across disciplines.
“After careful review, the Ministry has approved that Mathematics will no longer be a compulsory requirement for students applying to Arts and Humanities-related programmes,” the statement read.
It clarified, however, that the subject remains mandatory for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Business-related courses, where quantitative reasoning is essential.
The policy adjustment will take effect from the 2025/2026 academic session, allowing students pursuing disciplines such as Law, English, History, Linguistics, Theatre Arts, and Mass Communication to qualify for tertiary admission without Mathematics as a required subject in their O’Level results.
Education experts have described the development as a progressive reform, saying it could help reduce failure rates and broaden access to higher education for thousands of students who excel in non-quantitative subjects.
However, some stakeholders have urged caution, warning that a complete exemption from Mathematics could weaken general numeracy skills among graduates.
The Federal Ministry of Education assured that a new general studies module on “Practical Numeracy and Everyday Mathematics” would be introduced at the tertiary level to ensure Arts students still acquire basic numerical competence.