Can  Open University  Help Address  Admission Shortfalls In Nigeria ?

University education plays a crucial role in personal, professional, and societal development. It provides in-depth knowledge and specialized skills in specific fields, preparing students for career in various industries at the same time encourages critical thinking, intellectualism, problem-solving and analytical skills. In Nigeria, getting admission is increasingly becoming difficult day-by-day due to high competition, strict entry requirement, stringent selection processes, limited availability in certain programs as well as limited financial resources.

Report from the  2024  Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME,) only 20% of applicants seeking admission might be offered across universities, polytechnics and colleges of education in the country. Statistically, out of the 1.9 Millon applicants only about 380,000 would be admitted in to the entire public tertiary institutions in the country leaving behind more than 1.5 Million who are left with the choice of either going abroad to study (for the privileged few), or wait for another year, or better still apply again and compete with another set of newly hatched secondary school graduates in their millions and with no certainty or assurance of what lies ahead.

Could building more universities amidst grossly underfunded one’s help address this problem? The answer remains a capital no and in the nearest future, bringing this vicious, ugly and dangerous trend to a reverse order would be considered mission impracticable as anyone living in todays’ Nigeria will understand how government’s at almost all levels lack the will, determination and resources to afford building more universities. In fact, maintaining the existing ones has never been an issue of prioritization for decades.

Looking at the surge in number of youth secondary leaver’s aspiring and yearning for admission as well as, considering the critical role universities play in sharpening, modelling and developing their skills and getting them prepared for future tasks and challenges, new approaches must be initiated to confront the stumbling barricades to getting admitted into the system.
Given the impracticality of investing trillions of naira toward new university building projects.

On this note, a cost-efficient alternative that the nation should embrace is online education. Unlike traditional brick and mortar universities which are not only capital-intensive projects but unscalable, online education is scalable, flexible, and accessible. In fact, the flexibility offered by online education, lower tuition fees, and a variety of learning resources provides an easy solution to the myriad problems bedeviling conventional university systems.

 This open system was designed to meet learning needs at a scale that conventional universities have been unable to achieve. It is ICT compliant nature exposes student the ability to use and master the usage of computer – a skill that is critically needed in this contemporary period. It allows learning from their comfort zones; working while learning concurrently. One of the most prominent, leading and flourishing open universities is iconic open university recently established in Sokoto state of northern Nigeria. At the moment, it has 51 number of examination centers both in and outside Nigeria.

In order to reposition, scale up and be more effective in-service delivery, open universities need to: Expand program offerings, diverse curriculum and collaborations Improve technological infrastructure such as advanced e-learning platforms as well as friendly mobile learning.

Enhance quality assurance. Strengthen industry linkages, internship and entrepreneurship. Increase awareness and accessibility, outreach campaigns, affordable pricing and scholarships

Foster research and innovation ,Enhance student support services and build a sense of community among students through virtual platforms
Leverage partnerships and financial sustainability.Since open universities are becoming evidently indispensable, by focusing on the aforementioned strategies, open universities like Iconic Open University can improve it’s offerings, attract more students and create a lasting impact on education and the workforce in Nigeria and beyond.

It is therefore important to say, one of the best options for young school leavers and even aged people who wish to advance their qualification, is to enroll in open universities where it is possible to combine learning, earning through jobs and skill acquisition.Imam Isah Musa, PhD.
Agriculturalist and Educationist