Sorry, Maths Compulsory for Arts Students – FG Makes U-Turn

The ecstasy by Arts and Humanities students over the Federal Government’s announcement that Mathematics was no longer compulsory for admission may have been cut short, as the government has made a U-turn, insisting that the subject remains mandatory for admission into tertiary institutions.

In a statement on Sunday, Director of Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Education, Boriowo Folasade, clarified that English and Mathematics remain compulsory for all O’Level students.

Last Tuesday, the Federal Government had announced that Mathematics would no longer be a mandatory subject for students applying to tertiary institutions to pursue courses in the Arts and Humanities.

Particularly, the Nigerian Government declared that the new policy would affect admission requirements for universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and Innovation Enterprise Institutions nationwide.

However, in a statement on Sunday titled ‘English and Mathematics remain compulsory for all O’Level students — FG clarifies streamlined admission requirements’, the Ministry maintained that English and Mathematics remain vital tools for communication, reasoning, and lifelong learning.

The statement reads: “The Federal Ministry of Education has clarified that all students must continue to register and sit for English Language and Mathematics in their O-Level examinations.

The new policy does not exempt any candidate from these core subjects but rather introduces a more inclusive and flexible approach to tertiary admission requirements.

“The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, explained that the reform promotes fairness and inclusiveness in tertiary education by ensuring that capable students are not denied admission due to deficiencies in non-core subjects.

“The streamlining of O-Level admission guidelines aims to modernize Nigeria’s education system and align it with global best practices. It allows institutions to admit candidates into specific programmes where credit passes in either English or Mathematics may not be compulsory, while still mandating that all students register and sit for both subjects.”

The statement explained that the reform supports the Federal Government’s vision of equitable access, inclusivity, and human capital development, broadening academic pathways and recognising diverse strengths among learners.

It pointed out that the adjustment affects only admission criteria, not the requirement to take these subjects, even as it urged students, parents, and stakeholders to rely solely on official communication channels for verified policy updates