Say it will destroy standards, seek radical expansion of existing ones
Scholars, university administrators and academics have urged the President Bola Tinubu-led Administration to stop proliferation of universities in the country, saying it is destroying standards of education.

The scholars, who include Prof. Siyan Oyeweso of the History and International Studies Department, Osun State University, and Executive Director, Centre for Black Culture and International Understanding, Osun State; Prof. John Anetor of the University of Ibadan (UI) and others, gave the charge at the interdisciplinary research discourse organised by the Postgraduate College of UI, held at the Trenchard Hall of the university in Ibadan, Oyo State capital.

They stressed the need for the government to radically strengthen and expand the existing universities towards sustainability.

In his lecture, titled: “Interrogating Issues in the Proliferation of Universities in Nigeria,” Oyeweso said lack of funding and sustainability were factors affecting the development of Nigerian universities.

Oyeweso said a committee of relevant stakeholders should be constituted to take a look at the already established universities and map the way forward.

He said Nigeria needs a university that has a sustainable, definitive academic calendar and sustainable funding.

On his part, Anetor said proliferation of universities was destroying the standards of education, adding: ‘’The Federal Government should strengthen the existing ones.”

ALSO, a former Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Idowu Olayinka, said: ‘’In considering the establishment, rather than just mere siting of universities, a number of inter-related factors ought to be carefully interrogated.

‘’These include provision of access to qualified candidates seeking admission.” Experience in Nigeria has shown that those Universities like my own Ibadan, OAU Ile-Ife, University of Lagos, University of Nigeria Nsukka, and the University of Benin are heavily over-subscribed. At UI, less than 10 per cent of the admission seekers can be guaranteed admission because of the limited carrying capacity.

The state universities are less competitive. Then the private universities are much less competitive. This brings to the fore the second factor, namely the cost. Running a university is capital-intensive.”

In his opening remarks, the Vice Chancellor of UI, Prof. Kayode Adebowale, said a nation could not grow beyond the state of its university system.

Adebowale said that with 270 universities in Nigeria, it was alarming that proliferation has not addressed critical factors that could solve the challenges of the nation.