Senate, NUC seek establishment of more tertiary institutions

The Senate and the National Universities Commission, NUC, have sought the establishment of more universities in Nigeria.

The clamour for more universities in the country by the Senate and NUC came as stakeholders in the education sector applauded the proposed Federal University, Okigwe, in Imo State, during a public hearing organised on Monday by the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund.

In separate remarks on the occasion, the chairman of the committee, Senator Muntari Dandutse; the sponsor of the bill seeking the establishment of the Federal University, Okigwe, Senator Patrick Ndubueze; and the Executive Secretary of NUC, Mr Chris Maiyaki, called for the establishment of more universities in the country to meet the demand for education at that level by millions of Nigerians.

Specifically, according to the NUC Executive Secretary, available statistics show a huge deficit in the required number of universities in Nigeria.

“There are 275 universities, both public and private, for over two million prospective students seeking admission on a yearly basis.

“The implication is that on a yearly basis, out of the two million prospective students seeking university admission, only 500,000 to 700,000 are absorbed, leaving about 1.3 million out of the equation with attendant frustrations.

“Nigeria definitely needs more universities, as the 275 existing ones are just too inadequate for her population of 200 million. Indonesia, which also has over 200 million population like Nigeria, has about 2,000 universities, not to talk of Russia, Brazil and India with hundreds of thousands of universities,” he said.

Maiyaki added that the required expansion of regulatory and capacity building for more universities is already being put in place by NUC.

Earlier in his remarks, Senator Dandutse said the proposed Federal University, Okigwe, would help to make university education more accessible to Nigerians in Imo State in particular and across the country generally.

In his own remarks, Senator Ndubueze said the proposed university would give Okigwe town the required transformation it deserved over the years, being the only province of the past that has not been accorded federal presence, let alone made the capital of a state like many others.