The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, has disclosed that Nigeria’s higher education system was under severe pressure, with over two million qualified candidates competing for fewer than 500,000 university admission spaces annually.
Alausa made the remark on Friday in Ile-Ife, Osun State, at the 65th anniversary of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) where he delivered a lecture titled “65 Years of Excellence: Obafemi Awolowo University and the Future of Higher Education in Nigeria.”
According to him, the widening gap between admission demand and institutional capacity represents a “ticking time bomb” for the country’s education sector.
“Nigeria has over 200 universities, but our carrying capacity is far below demand. Over 2 million qualified candidates apply for less than 500,000 university spaces annually. This is a ticking time bomb,” the minister said.
Alausa also warned of a growing mismatch between university curricula and labour market needs, noting that many graduates are leaving school without critical employability skills.
“There is a gap between what our universities teach and what the economy needs. Many graduates leave with certificates but without critical thinking, digital skills, or entrepreneurial competence,” he said.
He further expressed concern over what he described as a “brain drain,” with top academics and graduates leaving Nigeria for Europe, North America and the Gulf region.
“Our best lecturers and brightest graduates are leaving in droves for Europe, North America and the Gulf. This is a hemorrhage of talent,” he added.
On funding, the minister said persistent underinvestment in education has continued to undermine infrastructure, research and access to quality learning.
“Federal allocations to education have historically hovered between 5 per cent and 8 per cent of the national budget—far below the UNESCO-recommended 15–20 per cent. As a result, infrastructure decays, laboratories lack equipment, and libraries cannot subscribe to modern journals,” he said.
He also noted that Nigeria spends less than 0.2 per cent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on research and development, contrasting it with higher-performing economies.
“Nigeria spends less than 0.2 per cent of GDP on R&D. In contrast, Israel spends over 4 per cent, South Korea nearly 5 per cent. We cannot engineer a future with that kind of investment,” he said.
Despite the challenges, Alausa said government reforms such as the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) were aimed at improving access to higher education and reducing financial barriers for students.
He added that the federal government is also implementing the revised National Policy on Education to strengthen learning outcomes and improve the quality of graduates.
Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of OAU, Prof. Simeon Bamire, said the university was committed to sustaining its legacy as a leading academic institution in Africa.
He said the institution envisions a future-driven university system focused on innovation, research excellence, industry collaboration and solutions to national and global challenges.
