UI can only admit 3,000 applicants, says DVC

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics), University of Ibadan, Prof. Gbemisola Oke, said the institution could only admit 3,000 out of over 33,000 candidates that applied for admission into the institution for the next academic session. Oke spoke on Friday in Ibadan at a stakeholders’ forum, organised by the Distance Learning Centre of the institution. She urged prospective students, who met admission requirements, but could not gain admission, to embrace Distance Learning to satisfy their needs of qualitative tertiary education. “If we can’t meet the need of our people through the regular face-to-face mode, then we should use the Open Distance Learning. “Education drives growth and development and it must be at the centre for any nation to make advancement,” she said. Oke added that the university would ensure qualitative and standard distance learning education, with strict adherence to the mandate of the nation’s premier university. At the forum, Prof. Francis Egbokhare delivered a paper entitled ‘Accessibility and Openness of the ODL Practice’. Egbokhare said the establishment of private universities as solution to non- accessibility to university education by Nigeria youths had failed. He pointed out that this could be ascertained from the low patronage of private universities. According to him, only three per cent of the total population of candidates, seeking admission through JAMB, choose private universities. Egbokhare urged government to look for ways of expanding the existing ODL facilities to be able to accommodate more candidates. Similarly, Prof. Abiola Awosika in her lecture entitled, ‘The Importance of Technology in ODL Practice’, noted that technology had made the learning world smaller so that everyone could have access to the ‘global classroom’. In his welcome address, the Director of the centre, Prof. Bayo Okunade, said the forum was to fast track the process of change being witnessed at the centre.