Fred Itua, Abuja
About six million applicants were denied admission into Nigerian universities between 2013 and 2017, due to shortage of space and capacity.
Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Abubakar Rasheed, disclosed this in his office, yesterday, when he met with academics from Kogi West senatorial district, who lobbied for upgrade of Federal College of Agriculture, Kabba to a full-fledged university.
Rasheed said between 2013 and 2017, out of 7.8 million university admission seekers, only 1.9 million were admitted, leaving 5.9 million out in the cold.
“The surest way out of this problem largely created by yearly increase in population is for government and private individuals or corporate bodies to establish more universities.
“As at Monday, March 12, there are 161 universities comprising 41 Federally owned, 46 state-owned and 74 owned by private individuals or corporate bodies, with inadequate space, capacity and facilities for admission of up to two million admission seekers,” he said.