The outgoing Director, School of Preliminary Studies, University of Ilorin (Unilorin), Prof. Abdulqadir Abikan, has appealed to indigenes of the citadel catchment area to take advantage of different programmes of the school.

Abikan made this appeal while speaking with newsmen Tuesday in Ilorin.

He said preliminary studies would enable the indigenes to secure admissions into various undergraduate programmes of the university with ease.

Abikan explained that the School of Preliminary Studies was statutorily expected to draw most of its students from the university’s primary catchment areas.

He however lamented that states that were part of the catchment areas were not taking advantage of the school, adding, that is evidence by the number of students enrolled from other states.

The director said that many outstanding academics, reputable professionals and distinguished technocrats working within and outside Nigeria had at one time or the other passed through the school.

According to him, the school’s courses intend to adequately prepare candidates for different academic programmes at the undergraduate level.

He said that once a candidate passed the school’s examinations as well as Universal Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and with the minimum O’ Level results, securing admission into various degree programmes at Unilorin was assured.

Abikan, who was also former Head of Department of Islamic Law, institution, said the school had facilities, lecturers and a serene environment.

He noted that many of the students were fresh from secondary schools and who would not want to be idle because of one deficiency or the other in their Senior Secondary School Certificate results.

Abikan added that with the exception of Law and Medicine, students who attended the school could be offered admission into any other Department of their choice.

“The 10 best students in Arts and the same number of students in the Sciences are often given the privilege to make a choice of their preferred course of studies in order to stimulate academic.

“One peculiar unique selling point of the programme is that results obtained by candidates at the end of their studies at the school could be tendered twice for admission into the university,” he said. NAN