The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has scrapped admissions into affiliated degree programmes offered by Colleges of Education, making the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) the only entry route into the institutions from the 2026/2027 academic session.

The directive is contained in JAMB’s newly released NCE/ND Agric Registration Guidelines issued in June 2026.

Under the new policy, the Board said no admissions would be conducted into any affiliated degree programme in Colleges of Education from the 2026/2027 session.

JAMB also prohibited direct admission into 100 and 200 levels in Colleges of Education, stating that all new entrants must be admitted through the NCE programme.

The decision effectively ends the long-standing arrangement that allowed Colleges of Education to award university degrees through affiliations with conventional universities.

To accommodate candidates who had already applied for affiliated degree programmes, JAMB said they could change their institution at no cost, transfer to the parent university running the affiliated programme, or make their second-choice institution their first choice for admission.

Candidates seeking admission into affiliated Colleges of Education through the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) were also given the option of switching to the NCE programme.

According to the Board, candidates choosing the NCE option will be required to obtain an O’Level verification code and pay a ₦700 registration fee on the JAMB portal.

JAMB further stated that candidates admitted into the NCE programme would have any ongoing UTME or Direct Entry admission process suspended.

The Board also introduced compulsory O’Level verification for all NCE applicants, with verification fees fixed at ₦1,500 for one sitting and ₦2,000 for two sittings.

JAMB urged Colleges of Education, accredited CBT centres and other stakeholders to study the new guidelines and ensure full compliance.