The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has called for an embargo on the creation of new public and private universities in the country. The JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, said this, stating that efforts should be focused on developing the already existing universities in the country. According to the National Universities Commission, the number of univerisities in the country currently stands at 170, with 43 federal universities, 48 state universities and 79 private universities.
Oloyede made the call on Friday while speaking at the 4th convocation lecture of the Federal University, Dutse, Jigawa State. He said, “Since education is everybody’s business, all Nigerians should support the effort towards educational development. Universities should not be established just to boost the ego of rich individuals and politicians.”
Oloyede reiterated the recommendations of the 2017 Presidential Retreat on Education which made a case for a declaration of a state of emergency on the education sector. He advocated increased funding of education in the country by committing nothing less than 15 per cent the national budget to the sector.