Affiliated degree programmes in Colleges of Education have been officially shut down by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, with the new policy taking effect from the 2026/2027 academic session and leaving the Nigeria Certificate in Education as the only recognised entry route into the institutions.
Contained in the Board’s newly released NCE/ND Agric Registration Guidelines from the Office of the Registrar, the policy also eliminates direct admissions into 100 and 200 levels across all Colleges of Education nationwide.
Thousands of candidates who selected affiliated Colleges of Education for Degree Programmes in the current admissions cycle are directly affected, with JAMB offering three alternative pathways to cushion the disruption.
Candidates who applied through Direct Entry may request a free change of Institution, transfer to the parent university affiliated with their chosen degree programme, or allow their second choice Institution to assume first choice status for processing purposes.
“A candidate may choose to be moved to the parent university to which the Degree programme is affiliated,” the Board confirmed.
The same options apply to UTME candidates seeking 100 level admission into affiliated Colleges of Education, with an added provision permitting a switch into the NCE programme of the same institution.
JAMB stipulated that candidates migrating to the NCE route must obtain an O’Level verification code from the relevant examination body. Registration on the JAMB portal attracts a fee of ₦700, while O’Level verification is pegged at ₦1,500 for one sitting and ₦2,000 for two sittings.
The Board warned that any candidate recommended for NCE admission would have all active UTME or Direct Entry processes halted immediately.
“Anyone who chooses NCE and s/he is proposed/recommended, would have any ongoing UTME/DE process suspended,” JAMB stated.
All institution change requests were required to be completed by 22 June 2026. The Board directed Professional Registration Centres, Institutional Professional Registration Centres and all field officials to study the guidelines and enforce compliance strictly.
“All PRCs, IPRCs and Officers of the Board are to study the guidelines and ensure strict compliance with the information contained therein,” the Registrar noted.
Affiliated degree programmes had for decades allowed Colleges of Education to award bachelor’s degrees through partnerships with conventional Universities. That arrangement has now been permanently closed for new entrants from the 2026/2027 session.
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