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From Jude Chinedu, Enugu
Emeritus Professor Samuel Ohaegbulam, Foundation President of the Nigerian Academy of Medicine (NAMED), has raised alarm over the worsening state of Nigeria’s universities, warning that the unchecked expansion of institutions without regard for quality is weakening the entire system.
Speaking at the 2025 Annual Lecture, Induction Ceremony and Scientific Conference of NAMED in Abuja, the renowned neurosurgeon described the trend as part of a “national tragedy” and urged urgent reforms to restore merit and excellence in higher education.
On undergraduate medical education, Ohaegbulam decried overcrowding in classrooms across the country.
“The universities are not adhering strictly to their approved quota, resulting in the unacceptable numbers of students in a class. Some classes have over 400 students. Even if the academic staff strength were commensurate with such numbers, institutions would still struggle to provide adequate infrastructure, equipment and mentoring for all,” he said.
Postgraduate training, he added, faced a different but equally worrying challenge. “Postgraduate medical education faces challenges, not from large numbers but ironically, rather struggling to find trainees, since those that graduated prefer to seek greener pastures overseas,” he noted.
Despite the presence of more than 280 universities in the country, Ohaegbulam pointed out that Nigeria’s global performance remains dismal.
“Countries with fewer but better funded and well-managed institutions outperform Nigeria in innovation, research output, and graduate employability. By spreading limited resources across more universities, we risk weakening the entire system. Lecturers are overworked and underpaid, facilities are neglected, and research is stifled. Instead of deepening excellence, we are diluting it,” he warned.
He criticised politically motivated expansion of universities, stressing the dangers of sacrificing quality for numbers.
“Education is the backbone of any nation’s progress. But when expansion is driven by politics rather than purpose, we risk building castles on sand. Nigeria doesn’t need more universities, it needs better ones. The future of our youth, our healthcare system, and our national development depends on it,” Ohaegbulam stated.
As his three-year tenure came to a close with the lecture, he urged government, academia, and civil society to recommit to the values of merit, excellence and integrity in order to safeguard the future of Nigeria’s education system.
