The Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Education, has clarified that Mathematics is compulsory for all students taking the O-Level examinations, despite a recent adjustment to tertiary admission requirements.
This clarification was communicated in a press statement released on Sunday by Boriowo Folashade, the spokesperson for the Federal Ministry of Education.
Just last Tuesday, Boriowo had announced a reform that would no longer mandate senior secondary school students in the arts and humanities to have a credit pass in Mathematics in their Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) to gain admission into tertiary institutions.
At the time, Boriowo had stated that the reform was essential because “years of restricted access” had “denied many qualified candidates admission opportunities,” noting that only about 700,000 candidates gain admission annually despite over two million sitting for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
However, this policy shift generated controversy, with some educationists arguing that it would “further encourage laziness among students and negatively impact their academic excellence and performance.”
In the new statement, Boriowo clarified that while the admission guidelines have been streamlined, the change does not exempt any candidate from registering for and sitting the examination.
The statement read, “All students must continue to register and sit for English Language and Mathematics in their O-Level examinations.”
It further explained that institutions now have the flexibility to admit candidates into specific programs where credit passes in English or Mathematics are not mandatory, but candidates are still required to take both subjects during their O-Level exams.
Boriowo clarified, “This adjustment affects only admission criteria, not the requirement to take these subjects.”
The Ministry noted that the reform aligns with the Federal Government’s goal of “equitable access, inclusivity, and human capital development,” stating that “English and Mathematics remain vital tools for communication, reasoning, and lifelong learning.”
When asked if the new communication represented a U-turn on the Ministry’s earlier position, Boriowo responded by saying, ‘No, no U-turn — it’s a clarification on the streamlined admission requirements to expand access to tertiary education, please.”
The Ministry also urged all stakeholders to rely only on official communication channels for verified policy updates.
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