NIGERIA: Four million applicants denied admission

More than four million qualified candidates have failed to secure admission to Nigeria's universities in the last five years, Sunday Punch investigations have revealed. The figure represents 88% of the total number of candidates who sought admission within the period.

Also, of the 688,025 candidates who wrote the monotechnic, polytechnic and colleges of education exams between 2004 and 2007, only 115,538 students were admitted, wrote journalist Charles Abah.

These findings came as stakeholders in the education sector differed on the need for more universities to accommodate the large army of applicants. There are 94 universities comprising 27 federal, 34 state as well as 33 privately owned institutions in the country.

Sunday Punch ascertained that only 11% of the 4.5 million candidates who wrote the Universities Matriculation Examination between 2003 and 2007 were offered admission, a development that leaves about 800,000 candidates not admitted annually.
Full report on the Punch site