Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, Minister of State for Education
At least 20 federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education admitted fewer than 1,000 students in the 2024/2025 academic session, according to data from the Federal Ministry of Education.
Institutions affected include Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education (942 students), Federal University of Agriculture, Mubi (184 students), and Federal Polytechnic, Ohodo (65 students), among others.
Nigeria currently has 278 universities, comprising 64 federal, 67 state, and 147 private institutions. The government has paused the establishment of new institutions and announced that, from 2026, tertiary schools enrolling fewer than 1,000 students will no longer receive funding from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund). Minister of State for Education, Prof Suwaiba Ahmad, noted that funding should reflect the student population to ensure resource optimisation.
Data from the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) show that over the last five academic sessions, six million candidates who sat the UTME failed to gain admission, including more than 5,000 candidates scoring 300 and above. JAMB cited reasons such as wrong O’Level subject combinations, low post-UTME scores, and missed screenings.
Education analyst Ayodamola Oluwatoyin observed that candidates prefer established universities over newer institutions, often choosing reputation over availability of admission slots.
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