Academic engagement is essential for students' academic success and psychological adjustment in higher education. However, the influence of motivation and gender on engagement remains a concern in Nigerian Universities. Guided by Self-

Determination Theory, this study investigated the predictive roles of academic motivation (intrinsic, extrinsic, and amotivation) and gender on academic engagement among 341 undergraduates of the University of Ibadan using a cross-sectional survey design and standardized measurement scales. Results indicated that academic motivation jointly predicted academic engagement, accounting for 15% of the variance (R = .39, R² = .15, F(3, 337) = 20.33, p < .05). Intrinsic motivation significantly and positively predicted academic engagement (â = .34, t = 4.51, p < .05), while amotivation also emerged as a significant predictor (â = .18, t = 3.54, p < .05). However, extrinsic motivation did not independently predict academic engagement (â = .08, t = 1.03, p > .05). Furthermore, gender did not significantly influence academic engagement, t(339) = .71, p > .05, with males (x=¯ 28.32, SD = 6.18) and females (x=¯ 27.84, SD = 6.26) reporting comparable levels of engagement.

Intrinsic motivation significantly enhances undergraduates' academic engagement, leading to greater dedication, energy, and active participation academic engagement among undergraduates, while gender has no significant influence on engagement levels. The study recommends that Universities encourage autonomy-supportive teaching, design meaningful and mastery-focused curricula, and implement strategies that enhance intrinsic motivation and reduce amotivation to improve student engagement and overall academic performance.