Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun on Saturday said Nigeria needs more universities to address the challenges of access to tertiary education.

The governor also advocated for an increase in the carrying capacity of the existing tertiary institutions.

Mr Abiodun stated these at the official opening of Aletheia University, Ago-Iwoye in Ijebu North Local Government Area of the state.

He said the opening of the institution represented a dream of a society where education was not just a privilege but a right for everyone.

“Statistics show that almost two million candidates apply for admission into our tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

“Out of this number, only about 800,000 are able to secure admission. This leaves a huge gap because of the limited carrying capacity of our various institutions,” the governor said.

Mr Abiodun said this called for an urgent need for more establishment of private institutions.

“Therefore, there is the urgent need to tackle this problem of access through the approach of increasing the carrying capacity of our institutions as well as establishing new ones,” he said.

Mr Abiodun noted that his administration, having recognised the transformative power of education, introduced the Ogun State Education Revitalisation Agenda (OGSERA).

He stated that the programme had made Ogun the only state in the country with a Learners Identification Number (LIN).

According to the governor, the LIN has enabled his administration to identify and follow the progress of students in all the public primary and secondary schools in the state.

Earlier, the institution’s founder, Retired Maj.-Gen. Sansadeen Awosanya said it was established to be a world-class institution in a unique learning environment.

(NAN)