The pioneer Vice-Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria, Prof. Olugbemiro Jegede, has warned that some private universities in Nigeria are being run primarily as profit-driven ventures rather than academic institutions, a trend he said could lead to their eventual collapse.
Prof. Jegede raised the concern on Thursday in Abuja while delivering a public lecture organised by the Federal Government College, Warri, as part of activities marking the school’s 60th anniversary. His remarks come amid growing pressure on limited university spaces, as thousands of candidates prepare for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and other admission-related exams conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
The Emeritus Professor noted that the country’s current university infrastructure is insufficient to meet the needs of Nigeria’s growing student population.
“I think we are almost getting to 200 institutions now. Given the population of Nigeria, we don’t have enough universities. Even the ones we have, their carrying capacity is very low. Many of these universities cannot take more than 1,000 or 2,000 students. Some private universities don’t have more than 500 students. Many will soon close down because of the way they are running it,” he said.
Jegede attributed the problem largely to the misconception among some proprietors that universities should generate quick profits. “Many people who set up these private tertiary institutions believe that it is a business venture. As soon as they set it up, next month they are asking, ‘Where’s the money?’”
He stressed that establishing a university requires long-term commitment and patience. “People don’t know that when you start a private university, it will take between seven and 10 years to break even. Things need to change,” he said.
Advocating a shift toward open and distance learning, Jegede highlighted the National Open University of Nigeria as a sustainable model for expanding access to higher education. “Why establish physical schools when you can establish open universities? That’s what this country needs now,” he said.
Citing NOUN’s achievements since its establishment in 2002/2003, he said the university has produced nearly 750,000 graduates. “That’s just one university. The biggest face-to-face university in this country will not have more than 40,000 or 50,000 students. You can imagine how many conventional universities it would take to match NOUN’s output. Nigeria would need nearly 30 conventional universities to do the same,” he said.
Beyond tertiary education, Jegede expressed concern over the declining state of unity schools, particularly Federal Government Colleges (FGCs), pointing to insecurity as the biggest threat to the schools’ national integration mandate.
Echoing his concerns, Dr Godwin Alo, Global President of the FGC World Students Association, said insecurity was eroding diversity and unity within the schools. He explained that students from certain parts of the country are discouraged from enrolling due to safety concerns.
“When you say you are a unity school but security challenges are reducing diversity among students, you have to face the truth,” Alo said.
He further warned that declining enrolment from some regions threatens the survival of alumni networks. “When students from these branches don’t come to schools like Warri, those branches will die a natural death. If we need to address that, we need to tackle the root causes, such as insecurity. For any nation, once you’re not secure, you have no nation,” he stressed.
The lecture highlighted systemic challenges in Nigeria’s educational sector, including underfunded institutions, limited capacity, and insecurity, while urging policymakers and stakeholders to adopt long-term, sustainable solutions for both higher education and secondary schools.
punch.ng
FOLLOW US ON:
