…As stakeholders support proposed Okigwe University
By Our Correspondent
The Senate and the National Universities Commission (NUC) on Monday in Abuja, have justified the need for more universities in the country as stakeholders in the education sector supported proposed Federal University, Okigwe in Imo State during public hearing organised by Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND.
In separate remarks at the public hearing, the Chairman Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND, Senator Muntari Dandutse, sponsor of the bill seeking for establishment of Federal University Okigwe, Senator Patrick Ndubueze and Executive Secretary of NUC, Mr. Chris Maiyaki, called for establishment of more universities in Nigeria to meet up with demand for education at that level by millions of Nigerians.
Specifically, Mr. Miyaki, NUC Executive Secretary said available statistics show huge deficit of required number of Universities in Nigeria.
“There are 275 Universities both public and private for over 2million prospective students seeking for admission on yearly basis.
“The implication is that on yearly basis, out of the 2 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.
“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, India with hundreds of thousands of universities”, he said.
Mr. Miyaki added that the required expansion of regulatory and capacity building for more universities, are 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.
Sponsor of the bill, Senator Ndubueze, in his own remarks, said the proposed university, will give Okigwe town the required transformation it deserved over the years, being the only province of the past, that have not been accorded federal presence, let alone, made capital of a State like many others.
