Posted on: 09:08 Thu, 24 Mar 2016



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.