The Federal Government has reaffirmed that English Language and Mathematics remain compulsory subjects for all students at the O’Level, regardless of recent changes to tertiary admission requirements.
This clarification was issued in a statement released on Sunday in Abuja by the Director of Press and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Education, Folasade Boriowo. The statement addresses widespread misconceptions following the recent streamlining of admission criteria into higher institutions.
Quoting the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, Boriowo noted that while the new policy introduces a more inclusive and flexible framework for university admissions, it does not exempt any student from registering for or sitting the English and Mathematics O’Level exams.
Dr. Alausa explained that the reform allows institutions to admit candidates into certain arts and humanities programmes where credit passes in either English or Mathematics may not be a strict prerequisite. However, all students are still required to take both subjects during their O’Level examinations.
“The adjustment affects only the admission criteria, not the requirement to take these subjects,” Alausa clarified. “English and Mathematics remain vital tools for communication, reasoning, and lifelong learning.”
He described the policy as a step toward ensuring equitable access, inclusivity, and human capital development—broadening academic pathways and recognising diverse strengths among learners. He also urged students, parents, and education stakeholders to rely solely on official channels for verified updates, warning against misinformation.
Meanwhile, the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, has also lent his voice to the policy clarification.
Speaking at the opening of the Jihad Week programme organised by the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN) at the University of Ibadan, Oloyede stated that the decision to relax mathematics requirements for arts and humanities applicants aims to reduce certificate forgery.
He noted that the policy has long existed but was not fully implemented until now. “How will you say someone who wants to study Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, or Arabic should be denied admission for not having Mathematics, when such a person can study Yoruba at a university in London without it?” Oloyede said.
He praised the Ministry of Education for aligning admission policies with academic realities, saying it is in the nation’s interest to remove unnecessary barriers to education and to discourage academic dishonesty.
