I am calling for the reform of admission policies in Federal Government educational institutions in Nigeria, specifically the removal of “State of Origin” as a determining factor and its replacement with a system based on merit, verified residency, and national identification through the National Identification Number (NIN).

Nigeria’s Constitution prohibits discrimination on the basis of place of origin, yet in practice, indigeneity remains a formal or informal requirement in many federal and state-linked opportunities. Human Rights Watch has documented that Nigerians classified as “non-indigenes” are frequently excluded from equal access to education, scholarships, and public opportunities, even when they reside permanently and contribute economically to those states.

In federal education institutions, admission systems still rely heavily on state-based quota structures tied to federal character principles. While intended to promote inclusion, in practice these systems often produce unequal cut-off marks and differentiated access based on state of origin rather than individual academic performance. This has contributed to recurring cases where equally qualified students are assessed under different thresholds depending on where they are classified as originating from.

A more modern and fair system already exists in Nigeria’s identity and verification structure. The National Identification Number (NIN), issued by the National Identity Management Commission, provides a unique, centralized identity for citizens and legal residents. It is already being expanded as the primary requirement for banking, SIM registration, and multiple government-linked services, replacing fragmented identity systems with a single national standard.

Similarly, employment systems in Nigeria are increasingly moving toward standardized identity verification using NIN alongside academic qualifications, certificates, and professional credentials. In principle, this means job access is already shifting toward measurable competence and verifiable identity rather than regional classification.

However, in housing and rental markets, evidence from public reporting and documented testimonies shows that Nigerians still face discrimination based on perceived ethnicity or state of origin. This includes cases where landlords refuse tenants, increase rent, or impose stricter conditions based on tribal identity or where a person is assumed to come from. These practices disproportionately affect internal migrants in cities such as Lagos, Abuja, and other urban centers where mobility is high and housing demand is competitive.

This creates a contradiction in national development. A citizen can be fully registered with a NIN, tax compliant, employed based on qualifications, and still be treated as an outsider when seeking education or housing due to ancestry-based classification. This undermines national mobility, weakens trust in public institutions, and discourages skilled Nigerians from relocating to where opportunities exist.

This petition therefore proposes that:

Federal Government educational institutions should phase out “State of Origin” as an admission determinant and replace it with: • National Identification Number (NIN) for identity verification

• Academic performance and standardized examination scores for merit evaluation

• Verified residency history for fairness in regional distribution where necessary

This approach preserves national balance objectives while removing ancestry-based discrimination.

A system built on citizenship identity, measurable performance, and residency is more consistent with modern governance, more transparent, and more aligned with Nigeria’s reality as a highly mobile, multi-ethnic nation.

Equal access to federal education should be based on what a student has achieved, not where their ancestors came from.