The Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Is-Haq Oloyede, has called for the expansion of existing universities in Nigeria instead of establishing new ones.
Speaking on Inside Sources with Laolu Akande on Channels Television on Sunday, Oloyede emphasized that improving facilities in established institutions would yield better results than proliferating universities, which often lack the necessary infrastructure and resources.
According to him, universities like the University of Ibadan could significantly increase their student intake in critical fields such as Medicine if given the necessary support.
“If we expand the current [number of universities in Nigeria] particularly at the Federal level, they can perform better than what you have. University of Ibadan, maybe for Medicine now, maybe the quota will be 200. University of Ibadan can take 600 or 800 if you expand the laboratories and Anatomy Department and equip them better,” he said.
Oloyede further argued that creating new universities without proper facilities would take years before they can make meaningful contributions. He cited examples of newly established specialized institutions that struggle with infrastructure deficits.
“If you establish 10 universities today, even if you call them specialised colleges, like the ones you have in Ila-Orangun or Otukpo, to be able to admit 200, they’ll spend 10 years. When it comes to universities, my own position is that we need expansion of facilities, not creation of them,” he explained.
The JAMB boss also highlighted the political motivations behind the continuous establishment of new universities. According to him, many politicians push for universities in their constituencies as a means of demonstrating goodwill, rather than addressing fundamental educational needs.
“But, it has its political advantage. Everybody wants a university in his local government. It’s because the elites have destroyed everything that you can show. Universities have now become the only thing to be shown that we love you in this community. Because, no factory. Everything that could have been alternative… so many people are arguing for universities,” he stated.
While acknowledging the need for more institutions in some cases, Oloyede stressed that the federal government should focus on expanding existing departments in fields like Medicine, Law, Pharmacy, and Nursing.
“We need some specialised institutions. Those specialised institutions, for the federal government, I believe they should expand those Departments – Medicine, Law, Pharmacy, and Nursing,” he suggested.
His remarks align with broader concerns about Nigeria’s higher education system, which faces challenges such as inadequate funding, overcrowded classrooms, poor infrastructure, and limited research facilities. Experts have long argued that rather than setting up more universities, the government should invest in upgrading current ones to global standards.
