Exploring Access to University Education in Nigeria – A Gender Perspective

Level of access to university education is an indicator of development commonly used as a yardstick for comparing societies. Universities are multi-product institutions, which contribute to the generation and transmission of ideology, the social development and educational upgrading of societies, the production and application of knowledge and the training of highly skilled labour forces.  In societies where there is social injustice, inequality and poverty will be endemic and creates poverty traps.  Poverty traps, militate strongly against breaking out of inter-generational poverty and inequality.  Access to higher education is key to breaking these cycles or marginalisation.  The paper examines the relationship between access to higher education with the prism of gender.  The extent to which females across the country are disadvantaged in terms of access to university education.  Also, the paper examines the need for affirmative action to ensure even development among both sexes.  Secondary data on applications and admission into Nigerian universities were obtained from the website of Joint Admission and Matriculation Board.  Gender disparity in number of applications and number admitted were calculated across geo-political zone.  Females are generally disadvantaged in terms of proportion applying or admitted to Nigerian universities, except for those in the South-East geopolitical zone over the years under review.  There is the need to include affirmative action about females in the admission process, this should be part of the social inclusion agenda of Nigeria in ensuring that more people are able to have a mobile shift in their social status. Keywords: Access, Gender, University, Education