The federal government has exempted candidates seeking admission into colleges of education from writing the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, announced the decision on Monday in Abuja during the 2026 UTME admission policy meeting, stating that the new guideline will take effect from next year.

Under the new arrangement, candidates with at least four credit passes in relevant subjects will be eligible to apply for admission into colleges of education without sitting for the UTME.

However, the minister explained that all prospective candidates must still register with the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board). Their credentials will be screened, verified, and certified before admission letters are issued through the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS), in line with existing regulations.

“Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, there is compelling evidence, including empirical data from the JAMB, that colleges of education possess significant capacity to admit willing candidates, particularly from their immediate localities,” Alausa said.

“This is attributable to a range of factors, including proximity, cultural alignment, affordability, and community-based demand for teacher education.”

The minister added that the federal government has also extended exemptions to candidates seeking admission into National Diploma programmes in non-technology, agricultural and agriculture-related courses.

According to him, this approach strikes a necessary balance between widening access and preserving the integrity of our admission system.

“It will not only ease the pressure associated with UTME but also encourage greater participation in teacher education and agricultural programmes, both of which are critical to national development,” the minister said.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has urged the Federal Government to use the remaining 10 days of the one-month window granted to it to fully resolve lingering issues affecting the university system.

The call followed resolutions from the union’s National Executive Council meeting held at Taraba State University, Jalingo, between November 8 and 9.

In a statement, ASUU President, Prof. Chris Piwuna said the warning became necessary as some government officials were “undermining the negotiation process” by making statements that misrepresented government offers and the status of implementation.

ASUU suspended its two-week warning strike on October 22, giving government until November 22 to meet key demands, including the review of the 2009 ASUU-FG agreement, payment of outstanding salaries and earned allowances, and release of the university revitalisation fund.

The union warned it would resume industrial action without notice if concrete steps were not taken.

Prof. Piwuna said part-payment of promotion arrears dating back to 2017 and the release of third-party deductions were merely confidence-boosting gestures and not the core issues under negotiation. He stressed that while some progress had been made in non-monetary areas, salary and welfare matters required a more radical approach.

The union said the real challenge was lack of political will to prioritise education, insisting that academics deserve better living and working conditions.

The Federal Ministry of Education has announced the commencement of disbursement under the Tertiary Institution Staff Support Fund (TISSF) to strengthen staff welfare, institutional productivity, and innovation across Nigeria’s tertiary education system.

This was contained in a press statement released late Thursday night and made available to the media by Boriowo Folasade, Director of Press and Public Relations of the Ministry.

Launched in August 2025, following a high-level stakeholders’ session in July, the TISSF has now moved from planning to implementation, with over 9,000 staff beneficiaries receiving disbursements in the first year.

This represents 28 per cent of the 33,000 verified applicants drawn from 219 federal and state tertiary institutions across the federation.

According to the statement, in the first year of implementation, the beneficiary composition reflects a 30:70 ratio of academic to non-academic staff, underscoring the Ministry’s commitment to inclusive support for all categories of tertiary institution personnel.

Speaking on the milestone, the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, commended the leadership and vision of President Bola Tinubu.

“The President is delivering for our tertiary institutions for welfare, for productivity, and for the future. Within just four months, payments havee started going out. This is a President that delivers, and the Ministry of Education is profoundly grateful for his continuous support and commitment to staff welfare,” he stated.

The TISSF initiative represents a critical component of the Federal Government’s Nigerian Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI) framework.

It is strategically designed to improve the welfare, morale, and performance of tertiary institution staff while reinforcing the institutions as centres of excellence, innovation, and knowledge creation.

Through concessionary zero-interest loans and welfare support packages, the TISSF empowers staff by offering each member up to N10 million in loans to address key livelihood and productivity challenges, including access to housing, education, healthcare, mobility, and small business development.

“This Fund is not merely about disbursement; it is about restoring dignity, rewarding dedication, and rebuilding the foundation of our knowledge economy,” said Dr Alausa.