Nigerian Universities And Their Catchment Areas for Admission

Each federal university in Nigeria has its own catchment areas. The catchment areas of a university (note that catchment areas apply to only federal universities) are those areas (states) that a federal university is geographically connected to.

According to the federal government’s admission policy, if your state of origin is recognized as part of the catchment area of the federal university you applied to study, you will stand a better chance of securing admission into that university than someone else whose state of origin is not recognized as part of the university’s catchment area.

University of Benin (UNIBEN) for instance has Edo, Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross-River, Delta, Edo, Rivers State as its catchment areas. Let’s say two candidates apply for medicine and Surgery at the University Of Benin, one of them is from Delta State and the other one is from Enugu State.

Let’s assume the one from Delta State has a UTME score of 220 and the one from Enugu has a UTME score of 245; the one from Delta State will first be considered for admission in UNIBEN despite the fact he scored lower than the other one from Enugu State. The reason is that Delta State is part of UNIBEN’s catchment area.

This is why it is advisable for candidates to apply for admission to a y that has the candidates’ state of origin as its party of its catchment area. Some federal universities have selected states as their catchment areas while some have all the states in Nigeria as their catchment areas. Let’s look at the list of Federal Universities and their catchment areas;

Federal Universities And Their Catchments Areas

1. University of Jos (UNIJOS): Plateau, Benue, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger
2. University of Benin (UNIBEN): Edo, Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross-River, Delta, Rivers
3. University of Calabar (UNICAL): Cross-Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Rivers,
4. University of Lagos (UNILAG): Lagos, Ekiti,, Osun, Oyo, Ondo, Ogun
5. University of Ilorin (UNILORIN): Kwara, Benue, Kebbi, Kogi, Nasarawa, Plareau, Sokoto, Zamfara
6. University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID): Borno Adamawa, Borno. Bauchi, Gombe, Taraba, Yobe
7. University of Uyo (UNIUYO): Akwa-Ibom Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross-River, Delta, Edo, Rivers
8. Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK): Anambra, Abia, Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi, Imo
9. Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria: Kaduna Adamawa , Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Gombe, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Katsina, Niger, Plateau, Sokoto, Nasarawa, Yobe, Zamfara, Taraba
10. Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU): Bauchi Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Gombe, Taraba, Yobe
11. Bayero University Kano (BUK): Kano, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara
12. Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA): Ondo, Ekiti, Lagos, Osun, Oyo, Ondo
13. Federal University of Technology, Minna (FUTMinna): Minna Niger, Benue, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau, Sokoto, Zamfara
14. Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO): Imo, Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Rivers, Enugu
15. Federal University of Technology, Yola: Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba, Yobe
16. Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ife: Osun, Ekiti, Lagos, Osun, Oyo, Ondo
17. Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUSOK): Sokoto Jigawa, Kwara, Kebbi, Katsina, Kano, Kano, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Niger, Sokoto, Zamfara
18. University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN): Enugu Abia, Anambra, Bayelsa, Cross-River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Enugu, Imo, Rivers

Federal Universities Without Catchment Areas: 

1. University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT)
2. Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta (FUNAAB)
3. Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun (FUPRE)
4. University of Abuja (UNIABUJA)
5. University of Ibadan (UI)
6. Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike (MOUAU)
7. Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi (FUAM)