Economics Registration: The Missing Mathematics
Ibrahim wants to read Economics. He is about to register for the UTME and has provisionally chosen English, Economics, Government and Literature. His O-level results are: English C4, Mathematics B3, Economics B2, Government C5, Literature C6 and Biology C4. He chose Literature because he enjoys it and because Government and Literature 'go together'. A friend tells him that Economics is a social science, so any social science subject is acceptable. Ibrahim's target university had a cut-off of 240 last year, and he predicts 250. He has one week before registration closes and can still change his choices online at no cost. He is worried that Mathematics is difficult and that Government is his strongest arts subject. He wants to keep his options open across two universities: one federal and one state.
1. Is Ibrahim's provisional combination likely to satisfy Economics requirements? Explain, naming the subject that is most at risk.
Read the worked answer
It is unlikely to satisfy the general requirement. For B.Sc Economics, most Nigerian universities require English, Mathematics, Economics and one other social science subject. Ibrahim has English, Economics and Government, but he has replaced Mathematics with Literature. Literature may be accepted as the 'one other' at some universities, but it cannot replace Mathematics. The subject most at risk is therefore Literature: it is the extra subject, while Mathematics is compulsory. His O-level Mathematics B3 shows he has the background, so the fear of difficulty is a study issue, not an eligibility issue.
2. What change should he make if he wants to keep both the federal and state university options open? What should he keep?
Read the worked answer
He should replace Literature with Mathematics, giving English, Economics, Government and Mathematics. That combination keeps a social science (Government) as the fourth subject and adds the compulsory Mathematics. He should keep Government rather than Literature because Government is a recognised social science and he has a credit in it; Literature is the least necessary for Economics. He should then check both universities' current brochures: some may accept Commerce or Geography in place of Government, but the English–Mathematics–Economics core is the constant. Changing online is free and he has a week, so there is no reason to register with a known risk.
3. Evaluate the friend's claim that 'any social science subject is acceptable' for Economics.
Read the worked answer
The claim is false as stated. 'Social science' is a faculty grouping, not a UTME rule. Each course has a specified combination, and Economics is quantitative: Mathematics is normally compulsory, and the fourth subject is chosen from an approved list. A subject such as Literature may be acceptable in some universities as the fourth subject, but it is not a substitute for Mathematics. The friend's statement may be a careless generalisation from courses like Political Science or Sociology, which have different requirements. Ibrahim should rely on the brochure, not on the category label.