As the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, pegs its 2016 UTME cut-off mark for universities, polytechnics and colleges of education at 180, stakeholders still believe that the issue of carrying capacity for tertiary institutions is crux of the issue that should be urgently addressed.

JAMB annual examination data revealed that in the past five years the average number of candidates that registered for UTME is 1. 5 million, just as the universities, polytechnics and colleges of education combined have 700,000 spaces. Therefore, while the Federal Government is considering approval of more universities to alleviate the yearly admission deficit, stakeholders are urging it to concentrate more on expanding the existing universities and also encourage students to seek other options for tertiary education. Speaking with Vanguard on this issue is the President of Eden Global Business School (EGBS), Mr Tunji Adepoju, who averred that there is a significant problem with the carrying capacity of tertiary education system. According to him, for the past 5 years, we have had about 1.7 million students sitting for JAMB, adding: “the carrying capacity of our tertiary education system, including the polytechnic and colleges of education is around 500, 000.” He explained that the innovation enterprise institutions, vocational enterprises, NBT have additional 250,000. All in all the total carrying capacity is about 700, 000. He said: “Every year, we have about 1.1 million students actually qualified; they have passed JAMB, met the minimum cut off point, and here we are, the unified carrying capacity of is 700,000; the polytechnics, colleges of education, federal and state institutions, is about 500, 000. The innovation enterprise is about 250, 000, so we have a shortfall every year of about 500, 000 students that would be qualified and competent but would not get admission.” Lamenting the fate of the over one million admission seekers, he said that over the years, they have fallen into the hands of crooks and charlatans. Many of them, he added have been deceived by mushroom outfits because they are desperate to get admission, adding that crooks have capitalized on this to extort gullible students. Proferring solutions to the admission deficit , he said Nigerian students should seek global certificates from recognized institutions which he disclosed EGBS offers. “We are offering an educational solution that will offer our students national and global certification.” According to him, “All EGBS programmes have national certification from university of Ibadan, adding that admission seekers can key in to this professional certification of National and International recognition. Adepoju who explained further that the IPMA UK certification is global, stated that no certificate in Nigeria is worth anything outside, saying they must first of all write the directorate of evaluation and accreditation to verify holders credentials with his home institution. With EGBS qualifications, he said there is no need for verification out the country, “you can work anywhere in the world without delay,” he said. Disclosing the idea behind the EGBS, he pointed out that the overriding vision of the business school is to be a world class entrepreneurial management supermarket in the world.

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