The National Universities Commission (NUC) has stated that more universities will be established in the country to increase access to tertiary education.
The commission noted that while almost two million candidates seek admission into universities, only between 500,000 and 700,000 students get admitted.
During an interaction with newsmen in Abuja on Thursday, NUC’s acting Executive Secretary, Chris Maiyaki, said that two new universities will be approved in the coming week, which will increase the number of universities in the country to 272.
His words: “We have no choice but to, as a matter of deliberate policy, undertake the massification of universities.
“You need to see the anguish and frustration on the faces of families who are desperate to make sure that their children attend university education every admission session. It is very tough and challenging for university leaders and NUC and so we have no choice but to continue to approve the universities.
“The approval for two more varsities to bring the number of universities in the country to 272 has been concluded and will be announced next week.”
He also maintained that Nigeria will continue to widen university access by approving more universities to meet its demands and supply of quality education.
Maiyaki also noted that countries like Brazil, Indonesia, and others, with populations smaller than Nigeria’s, have more than 1,000 universities; stating that efforts were underway to revitalize the university system through transnational education by permitting foreign universities to establish operations in the country.