Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

No fewer than 21,971 admission seekers are now jostling for 13,000 spaces at the University of Ilorin in the ongoing Post Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) of the institution for the 2025/2026 academic year.
The Post-UTME admission screening exercise of the University commenced on August 28 and will end on September 4, 2025.
The Director, Computer-Based Test (CBT) Centre, of the institution Prof. Kamilu Rauf disclosed this in Ilorin yesterday during a chat with journalists.
“The exercise, which began with 26 under-age applicants, comprised 20,220 candidates for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and 1,751 candidates for Direct Entry (DE),” he stated.
Rauf hinted that this year’s figure reflects an increase over last year’s 15,946 UTME and 1,175 Direct Entry candidates.
“About 12,856 candidates were admitted in the 2024/2025 academic session. This year, we recorded an addition of over 4,200 UTME candidates and 576 Direct Entry applicants, which shows that more students are making the University of Ilorin their first choice of institution,” he added.
The Professor of Mathematics attributed the surge in applications to the growing reputation of the university for academic excellence, uninterrupted academic calendar, and efficient administration.
He added that the Post-UTME screening exercise commenced on August 28 with 26 underage candidates out of the 30 expected and will run until September 4, with the final day serving as a mop-up for absentees and candidates for Arabic Studies.
The CBT Director reminded candidates and their parents to adhere strictly to examination guidelines, including dress codes and the prohibition of gadgets such as mobile phones in the examination hall.
He urged parents to avoid crowding the examination venues, stressing that all necessary information is available on the university website: www.unilorin.edu.ng.
Rauf reassured candidates and parents that the university is fully prepared to conduct a hitch-free and seamless exercise, urging all applicants to strictly adhere to the guidelines.
Also speaking, the chairman of the university Admissions Committee, Prof. Abdulazeez Muhammad-Lawal, described the first day of the exercise as successful, noting that the candidates conducted themselves well.
He said, “We were expecting 30 underage candidates to participate today, but 26 of them actually turned up. The examination went smoothly, and the students displayed commendable discipline”.
He, however, cautioned parents against accompanying their wards to the examination venues, stressing that the process requires biometric verification and must remain strictly candidate-centered.
He explained that while a few parents showed up on the first day, the university would not allow such practices during the main examinations.
In a related development, the University Admission Officer, Mr Abdulkareem Sanni, assured the post-UTME candidates that they need not know anyone or pay any amount of money to any individual or organisation before they could be offered admissions to the University of Ilorin.
The Admission Officer explained that all the candidates needed to do is to have all the requirements for their programmes of choice as he stressed the readiness of the University to give all the candidates equal opportunities.
Sanni, who is a Principal Assistant Registrar, explained that admissions would be offered based on the consideration of the Ordinary Level results, UTME) results and the ongoing Post-UTME screening results.
He added that for a candidate to be eligible for admission into the University, he or she must score a minimum of 180 in UTME and five O’level Credits and must also pass the Post-UTME screening.

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