The Senate and the National Universities Commission (NUC) have emphasized the urgent need for the establishment of more universities in Nigeria to meet the growing demand for tertiary education.
This call was made during a public hearing held in Abuja on Monday, organized by the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund. The hearing focused on the proposed establishment of the Federal University, Okigwe, in Imo State, with stakeholders expressing strong support for the initiative.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund Muntari Dandutse, Patrick Ndubueze, sponsor of the Federal University Okigwe Bill, and Chris Maiyaki, Executive Secretary of the NUC, all underscored the need to expand Nigeria’s higher education infrastructure.
Maiyaki highlighted the significant shortfall in the country’s university capacity, stating that while over two million students apply for university admission annually, only 500,000 to 700,000 are admitted, leaving a staggering 1.3 million prospective students without access to higher education. He further compared Nigeria’s university system to other nations, noting that Indonesia, with a similar population, has about 2,000 universities, while countries like Russia, Brazil, and India have hundreds of thousands of higher education institutions.
To address this gap, Maiyaki assured that the NUC was working on enhancing regulatory frameworks and capacity building to support the establishment of new universities across the country.
Dandutse also emphasized that the proposed Federal University, Okigwe, would significantly improve access to university education for Nigerians, especially those in Imo State, and contribute to the overall development of the nation’s educational sector.
Ndubueze highlighted the transformative potential of the proposed university for Okigwe, noting that the town had long been deprived of federal recognition and development. He pointed out that Okigwe is the only region in the past era without federal presence or state capital status, and the new university would help address this disparity.
The discussions underscored the growing urgency to expand Nigeria’s university system and improve access to quality education for the millions of prospective students across the country.
