UI Offers Distance-Learning Admission to Candidates Denied On-Campus Admission

The University of Ibadan (UI) has opened a special admission window for qualified candidates who were unable to secure conventional on-campus admission, offering them an opportunity to earn the university’s degree through its Open, Distance and eLearning (ODeL) programme.

The university said the initiative was designed to provide an alternative pathway for candidates who participated in its Post-UTME screening but could not gain admission through the face-to-face mode because of limited quotas and physical space on campus.

In a statement issued on Saturday in Ibadan, Oyo State, the Director of the UI Distance Learning Centre, Prof. Olufade Onifade, said the special application window for the 2025/2026 academic session would close on August 15, 2026.

He added that classes for the special cohort would commence on August 17, 2026.

Onifade said candidates who sat for the UI Post-UTME examination could switch from the conventional mode of study to the ODeL programme at no cost.

According to him, the programme provides flexible virtual classes, mobile learning, interactive course materials and physical revision sessions.

He explained that courses are taught by the same faculty lecturers responsible for conventional programmes, while successful students graduate with a University of Ibadan degree.

The university’s ODeL programme offers first-degree courses across several disciplines, including Computer Science, Statistics, Psychology, Economics, Political Science, Sociology, English, Communication and Language Arts, Educational Management and Social Work.

Onifade said candidates who participated in the 2026 UI Post-UTME screening were eligible for the free change-of-mode offer.

He explained that eligible candidates would need to visit the university’s official change-of-mode application portal to switch from the conventional on-campus option to the ODeL programme.

Other interested candidates who meet the admission requirements may also submit fresh applications for the special cohort.

The university urged qualified candidates to take advantage of the opportunity before the August 15 deadline, warning that available slots could fill up quickly.

The initiative provides candidates who missed out on limited on-campus spaces with an opportunity to continue their university education without abandoning their ambition of earning a University of Ibadan degree.