Nigerian unis lack space for 88% of applicants for medical science
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Up to 323,782 candidates who applied to study medicine in Nigerian universities in the 2022 Unified Tertiary Matriculations Examination (UTME) are being left in the cold as there is no space for them, despite the huge demand for doctors.
However, there are surplus vacancies in both education and agriculture courses as fewer candidates applied for them in the examination conducted by Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
About 367,499 applied to the department of medicine but only 43,717 slots are available in all Nigerian universities, public and private. This means only about 12 per cent who applied will get admission.
JAMB data shows the highest percentage of the total 1.8 million candidates who applied for both UTME and Direct Entry this year chose medicine as their first choice of course of study.
The data also shows the number of candidates who applied to study other courses and the slots available as follows:
- Social science – 231,907 candidates (93,277 slots)
- Science-related – 204,734 (132,796 slots)
- Law-related – 81,653 (8,529 slots)
- Technology-related – 103,891 (60,199 slots)
- Arts and Humanities – 72,014 (48,744)
- Education – 53,612 candidates (111,601 slots)
- Agriculture – 21,568 (31,217 slots)
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JAMB expresses concern over lopsidedness
JAMB Registrar Ishaq Oloyede, a Professor, expressed concern over the lopsided nature of application for courses at a meeting with Education Minister Adamu Adamu; and heads of agencies in Abuja 21 July, per reporting by The PUNCH.
“Look at Medicine for instance, we had 367,499 for vacancy of 43,717 which means we only have vacancy of 11.90 per cent for those that applied,” Adamu told the meeting.
“Same thing with Social Science, but when you come to Education, you have 53,000 applicants for position of over 100,000 which means that even if you admit all those who applied for Education even if they don’t have the qualifications, we still have vacancies.
“That is why for such persons, if only they have their O’Level [Ordinary Level] results, they get admitted.
“The UTME is a factor of inadequacy in syntax of number. If we have enough vacancies, we will probably not have UTME. Same thing with Agriculture, Agric is even worse than Education.”
Impact of unequal distribution of jobs
Reform Education Nigeria Programme Director Ayodamola Oluwatoyin stressed the need for proper sensitisation of students at secondary school level.
“We live in an age when it doesn’t matter your course of study. What matters are the required skills,” he counselled
“There used to be a time when people used to think that if you are not a doctor or a nurse, you won’t be successful. This is not right, these days we have people venturing into tech jobs among others.
“Another factor is the unequal distribution of jobs across sectors. These days, people believe that once you study Education, you will end up as a teacher in one private school or if you study Agriculture, you won’t get a proper job.
“The government itself needs to set the pace to ensure that there is investment in every sector.
“When you invest in Agriculture, Education and there are good jobs, you will see that applicants will continue to apply and it will reduce this imbalance we are looking at.”
