About 5,000 candidates have applied to study Nursing Science at Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, for the 2026/2027 academic session, while the institution has only 50 admission slots for the programme.
Penpushing reports that the Vice-Chancellor of the university Prof. Ayodeji Agboola made this known on Wednesday at the opening ceremony of a retreat organised for the outgoing members of the university’s Governing Council.
The Vice Chancellor at the ceremony which include a presentation on the university’s growth between 2022 and 2026 adding that about 4,000 candidates applied for Mass Communication, pointing out that the university can admit only 120 students to the programme.
Penpushing further reports that Agboola attributed the overwhelming demand to increased public confidence in the university following far-reaching reforms and strategic policy initiatives implemented over the past four years.
The Vice Chancellor explained that the growing demand informed the university’s decision to introduce Nursing Science, Mass Communication, Computer Science and Business Administration into its Open and Distance Learning (ODL) programme beginning with the 2026/2027 academic session.
Penpushing reports that he stated that the reforms have significantly improved the institution’s profile, leading to an increase in student enrolment from 27,785 in 2022 to 34,657 in 2026, boasting that the university’s global ranking has equally improved considerably.
The Vice Chancellor said the university Webometrics ranking rose from about 4,000 globally in 2022 to about 2,700 in 2026, while it is currently ranked 15th among more than 300 universities in Nigeria and 51st in Africa.
Penpushing further reports that Agboola disclosed that the university had graduated the first set of students from its Open and Distance Learning programme, thereby fulfilling the minimum requirement set by the National Universities Commission (NUC) to expand the programme.
“For our Open and Distance Learning programme, we had 100 students in the 2022/2023 academic session. By 2025/2026, the figure had increased to 307 students. We have now graduated the first set, which is the minimum requirement stipulated by the NUC’, he said.
“So, from the 2026/2027 academic session, we are introducing four new programmes that are highly sought after — Nursing, Mass Communication, Computer Science and Business Administration. We selected these programmes based on the huge demand from admission seekers’, Agboola stated.
“In fact, as of yesterday, about 4,000 candidates had applied for Mass Communication, yet we have capacity for only 120 students. For Nursing Science, we have over 5,000 applicants competing for just 50 slots. Medicine is even more competitive’.
“Through the ODL programme, we believe we can expand access to quality education. The degrees awarded are the same, but this gives more candidates the opportunity to pursue their desired courses.”
Penpushing also reports that he explained that the university recorded significant infrastructural development over the last four years, cleared pension and gratuity arrears amounting to about ₦2.1 billion and increased its annual revenue from ₦7 billion to over ₦11 billion.
The Vice Chancellor stated that the institution’s ICT-driven reforms have substantially reduced the cost of administration, noting that the university now operates a largely paperless system, and commended the outgoing Governing Council, led by the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman, Prof. Toyin Ashiru.
Penpushing reports that he described the governing council members as dedicated and committed individuals whose contributions had further strengthened academic excellence and institutional development.
The Pro-Chancellor earlier in his remarks said the council prioritised integrity, innovation, accountability and transformational policies aimed at repositioning the university, and thanked council members for their commitment and urged them to continue contributing to the development of both the university and Ogun State.
Penpushing further reports that the Commissioner of Education, Science and Technology Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu praised the outgoing Governing Council for providing strategic leadership, promoting sound governance and maintaining a cordial working relationship with the university management despite prevailing economic challenges.
The Commissioner pointed out that the achievements highlighted during the retreat represented only a fraction of what the council accomplished over the past four years, expressing confidence that its legacy of stability, collaboration and institutional excellence would continue to shape the future of the state-owned university.
Penpushing also reports that Arigbabu reiterated the Ogun State Government’s commitment to maintaining academic standards, stressing that due process continues to guide decisions on admissions, appointments and institutional administration, a policy that has further strengthened public confidence in the state’s tertiary education system.
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