Access To Higher Education

This paper conceptualized access to higher education and presented documentary evidence regarding the demand and supply of higher education in Nigeria. It reported that out of the large number of candidates applying for admission every year in Nigeria, only about5.1%to17.3%get admitted, meaning that about82.7%to94.9%of the candidates seeking admissions every year never get admitted into Nigerian universities. The secondary data collected from Joint Admission and Matriculations Board/Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (JAMB/UTME), National Universities Commission (NUC), and other relevant and updated educational journals were processed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS20). The results of this process were tabulated, and were then interpreted. The need to test the research hypothesis, accuracy of results and for purpose of easy understanding gave birth to the choice of SPSS20. The data were presented using the combination of frequency counts, graphs, charts, tables, Pearson product moment correlation and t-test statistics. Tabular and graphic presentations are easier and clearer to understand. The paper recognizes the fact that the low access to university education in Nigeria could be as a result of the following:problem of carrying capacity, quota system, inadequate infrastructures/facilities, inadequate public financing, economic constraints, academic staff inadequacies, and the problem of curriculum and curriculum delivery. Towards achieving greater access to university education in Nigeria, this paper recommends the following: better educational planning, curbing financial waste in the Nigerian university System, downsizing the number of support staff in the Nigerian University System, retraining Nigerian universities’ academic staff to embrace Information Communication Technology/Electronic Learning (ICT/e-L), mandating all universities in Nigeria to establish distance learning centers to provide more opportunities for all to have access to university education and revision of Education Trust Fund support for the production (book and journal in Nigerian tertiary institutions to be directed towards production) of online materials for distance learning centers that would serve the greater populace desiring university education. The issue of quota system/federal character, catchment areas/locality should be reviewed. The existing conventional universities should be well funded so that there will be expansion. Private universities can be encouraged, but profit-making should be minimized. The hypothesis for the research is "There is no significance difference between the demand and supply in higher (university) education in Nigeria from1978/79and2011/12". The result indicates that the relationship between the two variables involved is statistically significance. It implies therefore that correlation ’r’(0.84) is greater than significant ’p’(***0.00i.e.***p<0.001), the hypothesis is rejected, therefore, there is a significance difference between the demand and supply in higher (university) education in Nigeria from1978/79-2011/12.