Why federal universities are overcrowded – FUNAAB VC

The Vice-Chancellor, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Prof. Kolawole Felix Salako, has attributed high tuition fee in private universities in Nigeria as factor responsible for the mad rush for admission in many federal universities.

Salako disclosed this on Tuesday in Abeokuta when he paid a visit to the Ogun State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists at the NUJ Press Centre, Iwe-Iroyin House in Oke-Ilewo, Abeokuta.

According to him, many students preferred the federal or state universities because their parents could not afford the cost of private universities.

He said the menace was responsible for the rowdiness in many federal institutions.

“The truth is that, many students will want to come to federal or state universities because they know their parents cannot afford the cost of going to private universities and what that means is that, the highest number of applicants can be found in federal and state universities and that is why there is issue.

“And if we are to admit everybody because we owe an obligation to the society, the implication is that, there will be rowdiness in the university and lack of capacity in terms of lecturers. Another problem is that, many students don’t know the course they want to study. Majority of those seeking admission are applying for courses their parents told them to choose,” he said.

Speaking on the scrapping of management courses in some specialised universities in the country, Salako said the authority is still hopeful that the federal government will restore its decision in discontinuing management courses in the institutions, including FUNAAB.

Salako said there was ongoing process aimed at reversing the scrapped programmes.

He explained that prominent Nigerians including the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, have intervened on the issue.