NUC Warns Against Over Population In Varsities

The executive secretary of the National Universities Commission, Prof Julius Okojie, has warned new universities against admitting students more than they have the facilities for. This was just as he enjoined them to ensure that the number of approved courses was regulated.

Okojie said that this admonition had become necessary in order to control and sustain the quality of products of tertiary institutions across the country.

He stated this, yesterday, when he presented a grant of recognition to the Kano State Governor, Engr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso for the proposed North-West University, Kano.

Prof Okojie lamented that most vice chancellors have become mischievous and do not necessarily know the number of students they have enrolled in a semester.

According to him, State universities have become part-time institutions because that is where the VCs get money from. If you ask them for the number of regular students, they will say 11,000 but if you ask for part time student, they don’t know because that is where the money comes from.

He said that for any university to survive, tuition must be paid as it was the only guarantee for students to be properly modeled to compete with their contemporaries in other parts of the world.

The Governor in his speech, disclosed that the need for the university had become pertinent due to the population in the State and the inability of the existing universities to provide admission for the over 26,000 candidates who sit for the UTME annually.