Ogun, Delta and Osun States top the list of states with the highest number of universities in Nigeria.

This is according to data obtained from the National Universities Commission.

NUC regulates activities in Nigerian universities, including accreditation of institutions and courses among others.

According to the data, Nigeria currently has a total of 219 universities -49 federal universities, 59 owned by state governments and 111 private universities.

An analysis of the NUC data revealed that Ogun State boasts of 16 accredited universities, a federal university, two state-owned universities, and 13 private universities.

Delta State, which is second on the list, is home to 13 accredited universities, including two federal universities and the Nigerian Maritime University. There are four state-owned universities and seven private universities in the state.

Osun State, according to the data, accommodates 11 universities.

In the fourth position is Lagos State which houses 10 universities.

Data from Kano also revealed the presence of 10 universities, while Zamfara and Yobe States have the least number of universities with two each.

The other states with respective number of universities include Abia (6); Adamawa (3); Akwa-Ibom (6); Anambra (7); Bauchi (3): Bayelsa (4); Benue (4); Borno (4); Cross Rivers (4); Ebonyi (4); Edo (8); Ekiti (4); Enugu (6); Gombe (4); Imo (7); and Jigawa (4).

Others are Kaduna (6); Katsina (4); Kebbi (3); Kogi (4); Kwara (9); Nassarawa (4); Niger (4); Ondo (7); Oyo (9); Plateau (4); Rivers (5); Sokoto (4); Taraba (3); and the Federal Capital Territory has eight universities.

Speaking in an interview with our correspondent, the programme director, Reform Education Nigeria, Ayodamola Oluwatoyin, said, “We already have enough institutions in Nigeria. While most of those universities are privately owned, it is very important to note that if these and federal institutions are well funded and maintained, we won’t have the number of issues that we are having, which include incessant strike.”

Punch