The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has unveiled new guidelines for the registration and admission of candidates into National Certificate in Education (NCE) and Non-Technology National Diploma (ND Agric-related) programmes for the 2026/2027 academic session.
According to JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, the revised framework is aimed at improving transparency, strengthening verification procedures, and streamlining admissions across Colleges of Education nationwide.
A major change under the new policy is that all admissions into Colleges of Education will now be processed strictly through the NCE route. The previous practice of admitting candidates directly into affiliated degree programmes through 100-level or 200-level entry has been discontinued.
JAMB stated that candidates seeking admission into affiliated institutions must now comply fully with the revised admission procedures.
The Board also introduced compulsory verification of O’Level results through approved examination bodies, including West African Examinations Council (WAEC), National Examinations Council (NECO), National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB), and National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS). Candidates will be required to obtain verification codes before completing their registration.
According to the Board, the measure is designed to eliminate the use of fake or unverifiable results and further strengthen the integrity of the admission process.
Under the registration process, candidates must first generate a Profile Code using their National Identification Number (NIN), create a profile on the JAMB portal, make the required payments, and complete registration at accredited CBT centres, Professional Registration Centres (PRCs), or Institutional Professional Registration Centres (IPRCs) located within Colleges of Education.
Applicants will also be required to select their preferred institutions and programmes, upload their O’Level results, submit relevant documents, complete biometric capture, and print their registration slips.
JAMB noted that admissions will be processed through the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS), where institutions will recommend qualified candidates for approval. The Board emphasized that candidates awaiting results will not be considered for admission until their results have been uploaded and successfully verified.
In addition, JAMB announced a special condonement exercise for candidates who were irregularly admitted into Colleges of Education during the 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 academic sessions. Such candidates will be given the opportunity to regularise their admissions through a simplified registration and verification process.
The Board further provided transition options for candidates who applied to affiliated Colleges of Education for degree programmes in the 2026 admission cycle. Affected applicants may choose to transfer to their parent universities, switch to other institutions, opt for their second-choice schools, or revert to NCE programmes.
JAMB said the reforms are intended to promote fairness, accountability, and efficiency in the admission process while expanding access to teacher education and agric-related training programmes across the country.
The Board urged Colleges of Education, registration centres, and prospective candidates to carefully study the new guidelines and ensure full compliance. It added that detailed guidelines have been distributed through the JAMB website, Colleges of Education, the National Commission for Colleges of Education, accredited CBT centres, and JAMB offices nationwide.
EduTimes Africa, a product of Education Times Africa, is a magazine publication that aims to lend its support to close the yawning gap in Africa's educational development.