The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced the termination of affiliated degree programmes run in colleges of education, marking a major reform in Nigeria’s teacher training structure
The decision, contained in the board’s newly released NCE/ND Agric Registration Guidelines issued in June 2026, states that no new admissions will be approved into any affiliated degree programme from the 2026/2027 academic session.
Under the revised policy, all admissions into colleges of education will now be strictly through the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE), effectively ending direct entry into 100 and 200 levels within the institutions.
The board also confirmed that affiliated arrangements between colleges of education and universities, which previously allowed students to earn university degrees through partnership programmes, will no longer apply to new intakes.
For candidates affected by the change, the board outlined options including transferring to parent universities linked to their chosen programmes, switching institutions without additional charges, or adjusting preferences within the admission system.
JAMB further stated that candidates opting for the NCE route must complete O-Level verification and register through approved channels, with fees set for verification depending on examination sittings.
The policy also requires strict compliance from all participating institutions, registration centres, and officials involved in the admission process.
Existing applicants in the system will be automatically migrated to their selected institutions or programmes under the new structure.