JAMB Clarifies Removal of Mathematics Requirement for Arts, Humanities Admissions
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has explained that the removal of Mathematics as a compulsory requirement for admission into Arts and Humanities courses was aimed at curbing result forgery and aligning educational policy with current realities.
JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, made this known on Sunday while addressing journalists at the opening ceremony of the Jihad Week organised by the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN), University of Ibadan branch, alongside the launch of Ad-Dhikr magazine in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The Federal Ministry of Education had earlier announced that credit in Mathematics in the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) would no longer be mandatory for admission into Arts and Humanities programmes in universities and polytechnics.
Speaking on the development, Oloyede said the decision was informed by data and practical realities, noting that several Arts and Humanities disciplines do not require Mathematics as a core subject.
According to him, “Students in some courses, especially in the Arts and Humanities, have nothing to lose if they do not have a credit in Mathematics because there is no direct relationship between their disciplines and Mathematics.”
He added that the directive was not an arbitrary policy change but a product of recommendations that originated from the grassroots level and were approved by the Federal Ministry of Education.
Citing examples, the JAMB Registrar questioned why candidates seeking to study courses such as Yoruba, Arabic, Hausa, or Creative Arts in Nigerian universities should be denied admission over Mathematics when the same courses are offered abroad without such requirements.
“What the ministry has done is simply to realign policy with reality. Someone can study Yoruba at the University of London or Creative Arts in Canada without Mathematics, yet in Nigeria, such a person could be denied NYSC mobilization because of that. This move prevents unnecessary obstacles and discourages forgery,” Oloyede said.
He also explained that the Federal Executive Council’s recent embargo on the establishment of new universities was intended to strengthen existing institutions and enhance their quality, rather than expand numbers without capacity.
“The embargo is about quality, not just quantity. If our existing universities are properly supported, they can adequately meet the country’s needs,” he stated.
Oloyede further charged members of the MSSN to propagate Islam not only through preaching but also through exemplary conduct, describing the organisation as a mass movement committed to moral and spiritual guidance.
Also speaking at the event, MSSN representative Adeoye urged Nigerian youths to have faith in the nation’s future.
“Islam teaches us to love one another and our country. There are great opportunities in Nigeria; we only need to believe in ourselves and in the nation,” he said.
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