The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has approved 150 as the minimum admissible score for admission into Nigerian universities for the 2026 academic session.
The decision was taken on Monday, 11 May, at the Board’s annual policy meeting held under the chairmanship of the Minister of Education.
According to JAMB’s spokesperson, Dr Fabian Benjamin, the meeting also set 150 as the minimum score for Colleges of Nursing Sciences, while polytechnics will admit candidates with a minimum score of 100.
In a notable policy shift, candidates seeking admission into Colleges of Education will no longer be required to sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
The annual policy meeting is a key event in Nigeria’s admission calendar, where stakeholders in the education sector deliberate and adopt guidelines for admissions into tertiary institutions nationwide.
Benjamin had earlier described the meeting as “significant,” noting that it would determine the framework for the 2026 admission exercise, including the minimum tolerable scores for candidates.
Sierra Leone studies Nigeria’s admission model
This year’s meeting also drew international attention, with a delegation from Sierra Leone in attendance to understudy Nigeria’s centralised admission system.
The team included the country’s Deputy Minister of Education, Sarjoh Aziz Kamara, alongside two vice-chancellors: Prof. Edwin Momoh of Ernest Bai Koroma University of Science and Technology and Prof. Bashiru Koroma of Njala University.
The delegation had earlier visited JAMB headquarters in Bwari, Abuja, where they were taken through the Board’s examination and admission processes.
They are also expected to observe proceedings at the policy meeting, particularly how stakeholders are engaged in shaping admission decisions.
According to Benjamin, the Sierra Leonean officials expressed appreciation to JAMB, noting that rising admission numbers in their country have created challenges that Nigeria’s model appears well-suited to address.
