The Nigerian University Commission (NUC) has declared that number of universities in the country are not sufficient, and therefore called on the Nigerian government to establish more to reduce the number of people awaiting admission into higher institutions.
Penpushing reports that the Acting Executive Secretary of the commission, Chris Maiyaki, made this known and request during a public hearing organised by the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund. on the proposed Federal University, Okigwe in Imo State.
The Acting Executive Secretary lamented that the number of public and private universities in the country is not enough to accommodate all admission seekers on a yearly basis explaining that there are 275 universities in the country.
Penpushing further reports that Maiyaki emphasized that the number of people seeking admission into the varsities increases yearly, pointing out that about two million people seek admission into universities in the country every year, and that of the two million admission seekers, only 500,000 or 700,000 of them are admitted.
‘There are 275 universities both public and private for over two million prospective students seeking for admission on yearly basis. The implication is that on a yearly basis, out of the two million prospective students seeking for university admission, only 500, 000 to 700, 000 are absolved leaving about 1.3 million out of the equation with attendant frustrations,” he said.
Penpushing also reports that the Acting Executive Secretary cited examples of other countries with higher populations, like Nigeria, which had more universities, stressing that Nigeria definitely needs more universities.
‘Nigeria definitely needs more Universities, as the 275 existing ones are just too inadequate for her population of 200 million. Indonesia, which also has an over 200 million population like Nigeria has about 2,000 universities, not to talk of Russia, Brazil, India with hundreds of thousands of universities’, he said.
Penpushing reports that Maiyaki in similar vein said the commission already has a regulatory framework to accommodate as many universities as possible in the country.
The Chairman of the committee, Senator Muntari Dandutse, in his remarks disclosed that the proposed university is part of the lawmakers’ commitment to make education accessible to Nigerians and equally urged Nigerians to support the establishment of the university in Okigwe area of Imo State.
Penpushing further reports that the sponsor of the bill to establish the university Senator Patrick Ndubueze (APC, Imo North) said the institution will transform the community where the university is proposed to be established.
Meanwhile, the committee is expected to present resolutions of the public hearing on the floor of the Senate, while the lawmakers will make a final decision on the bill at the Committee of the Whole where the clauses of the bills will be debated and considered.
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