Nigerian Mathematical Society urges retention of Mathematics as compulsory tertiary admission requirement

Nigerian Mathematical Society urges retention of Mathematics as compulsory tertiary admission requirement

By Benedicta Aboh

The Nigerian Mathematical Society (NMS) has called on the Federal Government and relevant education regulatory agencies to retain Mathematics as a compulsory admission requirement into universities and other tertiary institutions for students in the arts and humanities.

President of the Society, Prof. Godwin Mbah, made the appeal during a press conference held Thursday at the NUJ House Makurdi.

While noting that the resolution was unanimously adopted by the Council and membership of the body, he expressed concern over reports by Education Minister that Mathematics is nolonger compulsory for admission into tertiary institutions for students of Arts and Humanities describing the development as worrisome and detrimental to national education standards.

According to him, Mathematics remains central to cognitive development, logical reasoning, critical thinking and problem-solving abilities at all levels of learning. He stressed that although often associated with science and technology, the subject is equally essential across disciplines in the arts and humanities, supporting clarity of thought, precision, and analytical interpretation.

Prof. Mbah warned that removing Mathematics from admission requirements could alter students’ attitude from junior secondary school onwards, leading to declining interest, increased fear of the subject, poor performance, early neglect of basic numeracy, and disrespect for teachers handling the subject.

He noted that such a policy shift would produce graduates with weak analytical skills, reduce academic rigour, widen knowledge gaps, and undermine emerging interdisciplinary fields such as digital humanities, media analytics and political data studies. He added that employability would be affected in a 21st-century economy driven by data, financial literacy and digital competence.

The Society further raised concerns about potential long-term national implications, including weakened innovation capacity, social inequality, and reduced economic competitiveness due to low quantitative literacy among graduates.

His position aligns with earlier remarks by the Minister of Education, who recently reaffirmed Mathematics as a foundational subject that will remain compulsory for admission into tertiary institutions. The minister maintained that the Federal Government has no intention of lowering academic standards, insisting that logical reasoning and numeracy are indispensable to national development.

Prof. Mbah, however, urged government to invest more in curriculum reform, teacher training, and modern learning tools to strengthen teaching and improve students’ performance rather than relaxing academic requirements.

The NMS concluded with a recommendation that all university applicants, regardless of discipline, should continue to possess at least a credit pass in Mathematics, warning that any shift would compromise the country’s educational integrity and long-term developmental goals.