ELDS in Nigeria – Educationally Less Developed States – Here is everything you need to know about ELDS in Nigeria for admission into federal universities.
The need for Federal character brought about catchment areas and ELDS states in Nigeria.
Federal character is one of the features of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution.
This is to ensure the principle that all public service, institutions fairly reflect the linguistic, religious, ethnic, and geographic diversity of the country.
In this article, we’ll delve into the meaning of ELDS, and its implications for admissions, and provide a comprehensive list of ELDS states in Nigeria.
All You Need to Know about ELDS in Nigerian University
In Nigeria, ELDS stands for Educationally Less Developed States.
This term is used to identify states with lower educational attainment compared to the national average.
To address this imbalance, the concept of ELDS was introduced to ensure that candidates from these states receive preferential treatment during the admission process.
The concept of ELDS plays a role in the Nigerian university admissions process.
Some universities allocate a specific quota of admission spaces for students from ELDS to promote educational equity and provide opportunities for students from these states to access higher education.
When it comes to admissions, ELDS candidates are often granted special consideration, including lower cut-off marks, to enhance their chances of gaining admission into federal government-owned universities.
This initiative is part of the broader principle of federal character, aimed at promoting inclusivity and equal opportunities in education across diverse regions of the country.
ELDS admission quota typically accounts for 20% of the total available slots in a university’s admission intake.
This allocation ensures that candidates from educationally disadvantaged states have a fair opportunity to pursue higher education.
ELDS in Nigeria 2024/2025
As for the list of ELDS states in Nigeria, they include:
| 1.      | Adamawa |
| 2.      | Bauchi |
| 3.      | Bayelsa |
| 4.      | Benue |
| 5.      | Borno |
| 6.      | Cross River |
| 7.      | Ebonyi |
| 8.      | Gombe |
| 9.      | Jigawa |
| 10.   | Kaduna |
| 11.   | Kano |
| 12.   | Kebbi |
| 13.   | Kogi |
| 14.   | Katsina |
| 15.   | Kwara |
| 16.   | Nasarawa |
| 17.   | Niger |
| 18.   | Plateau |
| 19.   | Rivers |
| 20.   | Sokoto |
| 21.   | Taraba |
| 22.   | Yobe |
| 23.   | Zamfara |
Other States not listed here are not considered ELDS states.
Learn more about catchment area in Nigeria.
We hope you found our article on the list of ELDS in Nigeria for admission into federal universities helpful.
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