We make provision for only 400,000 UTME candidates – NUC

The National Universities Commission has said that only 400,000 out of the 1.5 million candidates that sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination yearly gain admission to Nigerian universities.


The NUC Executive Secretary, Prof. Julius Okojie, said this when Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole paid a visit to the commission on Wednesday in Abuja.

She was at NUC to collect the Certificate of Recognition for the new Edo State University, Iyanmo.

According to NAN, Okojie said new universities were needed to boost access to higher education while making sure that quality was not compromised.

He said, “I am always happy when a new university comes on board; what that means is that we are expanding and we are opening up access.

“We know the number of candidates that sit for UTME organised by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board every year.

“However, out of the 1.5 million candidates who take UTME every year, we are barely able to make provision for only about 400,000 students.

“The new university will, therefore, be accessible not only to candidates from Edo State but those from Ondo State and other states.”

The executive secretary said the Edo State University is the 41st state university and 142nd in Nigeria.

On his part, Oshiomhole said for sound university education, there was a need to produce sound secondary school graduates who would be able to face the rigours of university education.