The Peaceland University, Enugu, has urged the National Universities Commission (NUC) to increase the quota for university admission for students, especially in medical sciences.

The university matriculated 700 new students during the weekend.

Pro-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Felix Ugwuozor, while acknowledging the developmental strides by the university within two years, said that more students would have been admitted but for the quota system approved by the NUC for Universities.

“We admitted over 600 students within the four faculties of the university and the number would have been more, but because of the NUC policy, faculties admitted limited numbers,” he said.

“There is need for NUC to increase the number because there are many students on the list who could not be admitted.

“The manpower in medical sciences is lowering because many of our doctors and nurses are leaving the country, so there is need for universities like ours to admit more students in its programmes.”

Ugwuozor added that as a young university, the school was moving so fast in academics, social and others, as well as providing students with what they needed in technology and staff wise.

He said that the target was to become one of the best five universities in Nigeria in the next three years.

Earlier, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Leonard Ilechukwu, said that the school engaged in skill acquisition to empower students, besides their academic programmes and extracurricular activities.

Ilechukwu said students needed to acquire one or more skills before graduation to make them self-reliant and job-ready.

“This is why we want to partner with Innoson Motors, Peace Mass Transit, and Enugu Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs), to give them the necessary skills,” he said.

The VC commended NUC, which, through its instrumentality, Peaceland University came into legal existence in the 2023/2024 academic session, with four faculties and 33 departments.

He appreciated Mama Pia, a Swiss woman, who founded and funded the university through her Education Foundation, the FredyPia Education.

“It was the seed that she brought from Switzerland and committed into the hand of a young visionary, dynamic, and pragmatic priest, that has metamorphosed and floriated into a full-fledged university,” he said.

“We are assuring students, parents and guardians that their choice is a worthwhile one and they will never regret choosing Peaceland University, Enugu.”

A graduating student, Pamela Nwobodo, promised to make her parents and the school proud.