Expert Admonishes FG Abolish Quota system

An educational expert and the Regional President of the Scholarship Aid Initiative Dr Adebayo Oluwatosin and other stakeholders have called on the federal government to abolish the quota policy in the educational system of Nigeria, arguing that the system is affecting the masses.

This was submitted during the 2023 stakeholders’ forum of the
Scholarship AID Initiative was held at the Bishop’s Court auditorium in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital on Friday.

Dr. Oluwatosin argued that the policy is affecting certain people in Nigeria, faulting that the policy is a determinant in undergraduate career choice.

He posited that Nigeria’s educational system needs to move to the global standard, whereby universities would determine the student’s qualifications and not a unified examination body.

Dr Oluwatosin also argued that most of the leaders in Nigeria have been around the world and see what is going on in their educational system, noting that if quota policy is used their wards won’t be opportune to study abroad.

“We can see that the themes for this year, we have been saying that
the quota policy in Nigeria’s educational system in Nigeria is affecting some certain people in Nigeria”.

“Every year, NUC, NBTE comes with its quotas, JAMB will come with its quota, at the end of the day, the children of the masses are the ones suffering from this policy”.

“That is why we are agitating every year, that this quota system, the idea of JAMB saying university can’t admit more than 5,000 in one particular institution or 50 students in one particular department at the end of it, both public and Private universities cannot admit more than 600,000 who is going to be affected more,” he asked.

“It is only in Nigeria that we are still using the quota system, it is only in Nigeria that we are still using a unified examination before admitting students into the university. Our leaders have traveled all over the world, If the quota system is what they are using will their children be opportune to gain admission at Oxford University, or Harvard University? No” he argued.

“That is why I said the of idea quota systems the idea of UTME should be completely eradicated. Let the institution make use, the university knows what it wants. Look at what JAMB did this year, They said 140 is the cut-off mark Which university is going to take that, Are you trying to bring the system down”.

Similarly, the guest speaker at the forum, Professor Azeez Olaniyan, a Professor of Political Sciences and Dean faculty of social science at the Federal University, Oye Ekiti also admitted that there is a need to abolish the policy.

He noted that the level of education system in Nigeria has gone beyond the quota policy.

“I shared the opinion of Dr. Adebayo because the quota policy was meant to correct some peculiarities, but Nigeria of today needs to address the situation”.

“We should go by merits, let students compete, and whoever meets the requirements Also institutions should be allowed to determine the admission policy so we can have so many foreign students in Nigeria”.

“Nigeria should be the hub of education for African students because we speak English, but JAMB may not allow that, If the JAMB allows schools to decide their admission policy we are going to have more foreign students in the country”. He submitted.