How to Gain Admission Easily in Nigeria 2023

Gaining admission into Nigerian Universities and Polytechnics can be challenging for many students. 

The process and requirements for JAMB and Post UTME can sometimes be challenging.

For many years, I struggled to gain admission into the University.

The thing is that I lacked vital information about that time. I did not have a guide on entering into any of the higher institutions in Nigeria.

In secondary school, I thought getting admission would be a walkover. Sooner than later, I realized I was in for a difficult task.

Getting into the University or Polytechnic is not difficult as you may think. The problem is that many Nigerian students make wrong decisions due to misinformation.

In this post, I will show you helpful tips to gain admission into any Nigerian higher institution.

These strategies will help you to avoid common mistakes of admission seekers.

If you have any questions, do let me know in the comment box below. I will get back to you as soon as possible.

How to Gain Admission in Nigeria

The following guides will help you know ways to gain admission into a higher institution.

The necessary thing you must note at this point is that you are capable enough to gain admission. 

Do not look down on yourself irrespective of your JAMB and Post UTME performance.

Trust me. You can make it to your dream school to study your dream course.

By the end of this post, you will be better informed about how to go about your admission process.

Steps to Gain Admission into The University

Get A Good O’level Result

Passing your WAEC or NECO exams is the key to getting admission to Nigerian schools.

Every school in Nigeria requires that you have at least five (5) credits in relevant subjects.

For example, to study Radiography at the University. You must have at least credits in the following subjects;

• Mathematics
• English Language
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Physics

Let me know in the comment box below if you do not know the correct O’level combination you need. 

Not having the correct O’level would lead to your disqualification for admission.

• How to Gain Admission with Low Jamb Score

O’level Result Combination

You can combine two O’level results for admission in Nigeria. For example, you can use two sittings or combine WAEC and NECO results.

But, for some courses like Medicine and Surgery, the combination of O’level results is not allowed. You can only use one sitting of either NECO or WAEC.

If you are yet to write your WAEC or NECO exams, ensure that you study hard to get a good result.

In some schools, having A’s in your O’level is an added advantage in the Post JAMB screening.

I recommend you read How to Prepare and Pass WAEC & NECO Examination.

Choose A Course That Fits You

The common problem many Nigerian students face is choosing the wrong course to study. Many times, many students pursue the so-called popular courses.

Studying a course in University depends on two criteria;

1. Passion
2. Academic Prowess

Passion

You must have passion for the course that you want to study at the higher institution. It is a passion that drives you to give your best and achieve success.

Many students face the challenge of discovering their passion. They have a narrow view of how the University system works.

Law, Medicine and Mass Communication are not the only courses that you can study. There are other fantastic courses that you can read at a higher institution.

My advice to you is to take the time to discover yourself. It is you alone who can find your passion.

Do not make the mistake of following the crowd. Your friends applied for Engineering does not mean you must go for Engineering.

You would end up frustrated if you study a course that does not align with your passion.

The best way to find out the course that fits you is to do research online.

• List of Universities That Accept Low JAMB Score for Admission

For example, as a Science student who wants to study a course related to the health discipline. You can find out which of these courses below suits you;

• Medicine and Surgery
• Dentistry
• Medical Laboratory Science
• Nursing Science
• Radiography and Radiological Science
• Medical Rehabilitation

Academic Prowess

Apart from passion, you need to have the academic prowess for the course you want to study.

It is one thing to have passion for a course. It is another thing to meet the academic requirements for the program at the University.

To study Law that is your passion, you must score high and beat the cut off mark.

The truth is that not every student can beat the cut off mark of the course they want to study. At this point, you have two options.

• Give up the year’s admission and go back to study hard for the next year JAMB.
• Accept admission for the related dream course. 

Whichever decision you take, be true to yourself. In most cases, you would have to compromise and settle for something related to your dream course.

Identify and Understand Your Academic Strength and Weakness

Identifying your academic strength and weakness would help secure admission.

For some students like myself, I do not fancy calculations. At the start, I had known I would not study anything related to Mathematics. 

• You must step up your game by studying hard.
• Do not run away from your weakness.
• Identify subjects that you are good at and go for a course that covers that subject.

Choose The Right University in Your JAMB Application

Choosing the right University is paramount for you to gain admission. There is some University Post JAMB screening policy that may not favour you.

For example, some schools use the O’level results for Post JAMB screening. If you have C’s in your WAEC or NECO, you will experience problems securing an admission.

Also, some schools do not have the accreditation to run some courses. Stay away from such Universities or Polytechnics. You do not want to end up in frustration.

Ensure that you get all vital information about the school you want to put in your JAMB.

Prepare, Pass and Score High in JAMB

Preparing and passing your JAMB examination is the way to gain admission in Nigeria.

The simple rule is that the higher your JAMB score, the higher your chances of gaining admission.

I implore you to strive to get a high JAMB score.

Read how to study and pass JAMB excellently to know the right strategies to score high.

Pass Your Post UTME Examination

The Post UTME exam is the biggest challenge for some students. Even after getting a high score, some students do not get admission because of a low JAMB score.

You must know how to score high and pass the Post UTME examination.

Ways to Get Admission in Nigeria

Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB)

JAMB is the easiest way that you can use to gain admission in Nigeria.

The JAMB exam is the qualifying exam conducted to test students on four subjects. It is a computer-based examination.

You must write the JAMB exam for you to gain admission. 

It is necessary to get a high score in your JAMB. 

You do not need to feel scared that you will fail your JAMB examination. Passing the exam is pretty straightforward if you study hard.

I tell you that you read How to Study and Pass JAMB Excellently.

The practical tips in the post will help you to score at least 250 in your JAMB examination.

In Nigeria, admission is under the regulation of the JAMB body.

• Ensure that you register the right subject combination
• All your information must be correct for your JAMB registration.
• Register for the day before the deadline.
• Study and Pass JAMB excellently.

JAMB Choice of Course

The JAMB choice, of course, is what you want to study either in the Polytechnic or University.

By default, science students would want to fill in for Medicine or Engineering. And the Art students would go for Law, Mass Communication or Banking and Finance.

I must tell you that these are not the only courses you can study at a higher institution. 

Many students have wasted years at home chasing these so-called dream courses.

I am not discouraging you from pursuing your dreams. But you must find out what suit you and not pursue a course because everybody says that it is okay.

You need to do a lot of research and analyze a variety of courses. Find out what suits you. 

For example, for science students, there is more than Medicine and Engineering.

JAMB Choice of Institution

JAMB choice of institution is where you state the school that you would want to attend.

You must be careful about the school you enter for your JAMB registration.

All schools have got their JAMB regulations and requirements. 

For example, some schools need only JAMB and use O’level for admission. Other schools conduct Post UTME exams.

If you have C’s in your O’level, you will be at a disadvantage for a school that uses O’level for Post UTME.

Also, the standard of the institution is of paramount importance. Trust me. You want to go to a good school.

Don’t be in haste when deciding on the school where you want to attend.

Make necessary inquiries from students and read about the school online. The information that you would get will help you make the best choice.

Pre Degree Program

A pre-degree program is an easy way to gain admission into the University. It is called a remedial program.

The pre-degree program runs for one academic session that is one year.

You would learn basic subjects. For example, if you are a science student, you will receive classes on; 

• Chemistry
• Biology
• Physics
• Mathematics
• English Language.

At the end of the program, you would write an exam on these subjects. 

Those who come out with flying colours would get admission into the University.

For admission through Pre Degree, you would write JAMB. Also, you will put the University as your first choice in JAMB. 

A pre-degree program is not straightforward, especially for science students. 

It is because the admission slot for the program is few. 

Many times, students who go for this program end up getting admission for other courses.

• You have to be careful before you apply for the remedial program at any of the University.
• Ensure that you make adequate inquiries from previous students of the program. 
• Find out the success rate of the program. 
• Gather information about the number of students considered for admission from the program.
• Also, you must have an idea of the school fees structures and other expenses.

The advantage of the pre-degree program is that you will learn in A’level standard. 

Most of the things you will learn are what you will encounter during your first year at the University.

If you go for this program, never forget to also prepare for your JAMB exam. Aspire to get a high JAMB score as it will be an added advantage to you.

From my research, the best University to do a Pre-degree program is UNIPORT and OAU.

You can run the remedial program in other Universities. But be sure that they admit students into the first year of the program.

Joint University Preliminary Examinations Board (JUPEB)

The JUPEB is an A’level program. You can use the result to gain admission into the second year via direct entry. 

The program runs for one year. After completion, you will be able to get admission with your JUPEB results.

The JUPEB result is in points. The most number of points you can get is 16.

To get admission using JUPEB, you must have a high point score. The higher your point, the higher your chances of admission.

During your program, you will need to pick up the JAMB direct entry admission form.

It is necessary to know that the JUPEB program is expensive. You will spend nothing less than three hundred and fifty thousand on the program.

Also, admission into the second year is not guaranteed. Your chances are on your general performance in the JUPEB examination.

If you would like to go for the JUPEB program, make inquiries from former JUPEB candidates. 

Below is a list of Universities that offer the JUPEB program in Nigeria;

• University of Illorin (Unilorin)
• University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN)
• Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU)
• Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK)
• Achievers University
• Olabisi Onabanjo University
• University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT)
• Bells University
• University of Lagos (UNILAG)
• Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO)
• Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH)
• Imo State University (IMSU)
• Lagos State University (LASU)
• University of Benin (UNIBEN)
• University of Calabar (UNICAL)
• Niger Delta University (NDU)
• Delta State University (DELSU)
• Adekunle Ajasin University (AAUA)
• Federal University of Agriculture Makurdi (FUAM)
• University of Uyo (UNIUYO)
• Anchor University
• Hezekiah University (UNIHEZ)
• Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta (FUNAAB)
• Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE)
• Federal University of Petroleum Resources (FUPRE)
• Ebonyi State University (EBSU)
• Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT)
• Abia State University (ABSU) 

Interim Joint Matriculation Board (IJMB)

The IJMB program is like JUPEB. At the end of the program, successful candidates get admission into the second year. 

College of Health Technology

College of Health Technology are schools that you can study Medical-related courses.

Some of these courses include;

• Pharmacy Technology
• Medical Laboratory Technology
• Community Health Extension Workers
• Health Information Management
• Health Education
• Environmental Health Technology
• Nutrition and Dietetics
• Image Processing Technology
• Dental Health Technology

On average, these courses run for three years. After completion, you would be able to work in a health-related discipline.

The good part is that you can get admission through direct entry into the University.

School of Nursing

The School of Nursing program runs for three years. On completion of the program, you can practice as an accredited Nurse. 

Also, you can further your studies at the University.

To gain admission into any School of Nursing in Nigeria, you must pass the entrance exam. Usually, only a few candidates get into the school of Nursing.

Also, you can practice abroad with a nursing certificate.

Requirements for School of Nursing

The requirements for the school of Nursing are five credits in the following subject; 

• Mathematics
• English Language
• Physics
• Biology
• Chemistry

Nigerian University Admission Requirements

• Five (5) credits in O’level
• 180 JAMB score
• Pass Post UTME examination

Ways to Gain Admission Without JAMB in Nigeria

Below are the ways to gain admission without JAMB in Nigeria;

• JUPEB
• IJMB
• School of Nursing
• College of Health Technology

How to Gain Admission to Study Medicine in Nigeria

The way to gain admission to study Medicine in Nigeria is to get a high score in JAMB.

Read How to Study and Pass JAMB Examination Excellently to know strategies to score high.

To study Medicine and Surgery, you must target a JAMB score of 310 and above.

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