The NUC official said the country has 275 public and private universities while only 500,000 or 700,000 out of two million admission seekers are offered admission yearly.
The Nigerian University Commission (NUC) has asked the federal government to establish more universities to reduce the number of people awaiting admission into higher institutions.
The Acting Executive Secretary of the NUC, Chris Maiyaki, made the request on Monday during a public hearing organised by the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund. on the proposed Federal University, Okigwe in Imo State.
Mr Maiyaki empathised that the number of public and private universities in the country is not enough to accommodate all admission seekers on a yearly basis.
Admission seekers
The NUC acting secretary said there are 275 universities in the country but that the number of people seeking admission into the varsities increases yearly.
He noted that about two million people seek admission into universities in the country every year.
Mr Maiyaki said of the two million admission seekers, only 500,000 or 700,000 of them are admitted.
"There are 275 universities both public and private for over two million prospective students seeking for admission on yearly basis.
"The implication is that on a yearly basis, out of the two million prospective students seeking for university admission, only 500, 000 to 700, 000 are absolved leaving about 1.3 million out of the equation with attendant frustrations," he said.
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He cited examples of other countries with higher populations, like Nigeria, which had more universities.
"Nigeria definitely needs more Universities, as the 275 existing ones are just too inadequate for her population of 200 million .
"Indonesia, which also has an over 200 million population like Nigeria has about 2,000 universities, not to talk of Russia, Brazil , India with hundreds of thousands of universities," he said.
Mr Maiyaki also said the commission already has a regulatory framework to accommodate as many universities as possible in the country.
Proposed University
Chairman of the committee, Muntari Dandutse, said the proposed university is part of the lawmakers' commitment to make education accessible to Nigerians.
Mr Dandutse, the senator representing Katsina South Senatorial District, urged Nigerians to support the establishment of the university in Okigwe area of Imo State.
On his part, Patrick Ndubueze (APC, Imo North) who sponsored the bill to establish the university, said the institution will transform the community where the university is proposed to be established.
The committee is expected to present resolutions of the public hearing on the floor of the Senate.
The lawmakers will make a final decision on the bill at the Committee of the Whole where the clauses of the bills will be debated and considered.
