ADMISSION GUIDELINES INTO NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES

The Federal Government guidelines for admissions into its institutions of higher learning are based on 45% Merit, 35% Catchment/Locality and 20% Educationally Less Developed States.

ADMISSION ON MERIT

Candidates with very high scores in UTME and post-UTME each year (and/or a weighted combination of both) are given first consideration for their first choice of course in their institution of choice before other candidates. Forty-five percent (45%) of the available spaces are reserved for such applicants.  

CATCHMENT AREAS

To give equal opportunities to all applicants, the States of the Federation are grouped into catchment areas of each Tertiary Institution. It is also called Locality which, in most cases, is the geographical and/or socio-cultural areas contiguous to the institution candidates apply to. Consideration is given to students who fall within the catchment area of the Tertiary Institution.

Some Institutions have all the states of the Federation as their catchment area while state-owned Institutions have all the local government areas of their states as their catchment area. According to the admission guidelines, thirty-five percent (35%) of the available spaces are reserved for applicants from such states or locality.

EDUCATIONALLY LESS DEVELOPED STATES (ELDS)

Certain states are considered educationally less developed or disadvantaged. The following states are considered Educationally Less Developed or Disadvantaged States (ELDS): Adamawa, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Ebonyi, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Kastina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, and Zamfara. Candidates from these states are given special concession for admission. 

FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OTUOKE

FUO applies the above guidelines to both First-Choice and Second-Choice applicants. The university's Catchment Area is the following states: Abia, Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross-River, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo,  Rivers.