5,000 Applicants Battle for 50 Nursing Slots at OOU as Demand Soars

(Staffs of Olabisi Onabanjo University. Photo by News Express)

The Vice-Chancellor of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Prof. Ayodeji Agboola, has revealed that as many as 5,000 candidates applied to study Nursing Science at the institution for the 2026/2027 academic session, even though only 50 admission spots are available for the course.

He also disclosed that roughly 4,000 candidates sought admission into Mass Communication, a programme that can only accommodate 120 students.

According to him, this surge in interest stems from growing public trust in the university following sweeping reforms and deliberate policy changes carried out over the past four years.

This rising demand, he said, prompted the university to fold Nursing Science, Mass Communication, Computer Science and Business Administration into its Open and Distance Learning, ODL, programme starting from the 2026/2027 session.

Agboola noted that these reforms have boosted the institution's standing considerably, with enrolment climbing from 27,785 students in 2022 to 34,657 by 2026.

He added that the university's global ranking has also improved markedly, with its Webometrics position rising from around 4,000 worldwide in 2022 to about 2,700 in 2026.

Locally, it now ranks 15th out of over 300 Nigerian universities and 51st across Africa.

He made these disclosures on Wednesday while presenting an overview of the university's progress between 2022 and 2026, at the start of a retreat held for outgoing members of the institution's Governing Council.

Present at the event were Pro-Chancellor and Council Chairman, Prof. Toyin Ashiru; Chief Adepegba Otemolu; Chief Joju Fadairo; Chief Iyabode Apampa; other council members; and the Ogun State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu.

The VC explained that the university had successfully graduated its pioneer batch of ODL students, thereby meeting the minimum benchmark set by the National Universities Commission for expanding the programme.

He noted that enrolment in the ODL programme had grown from 100 students in the 2022/2023 session to 307 by 2025/2026, and having now met the NUC's requirement by producing its first graduating set, the university was introducing four new high-demand courses Nursing, Mass Communication, Computer Science and Business Administration from the 2026/2027 session, based on the scale of applicant interest.

He pointed out that Mass Communication alone had attracted about 4,000 applicants for only 120 available slots, while Nursing Science had drawn more than 5,000 applicants competing for just 50 places, with Medicine proving even more competitive.

He expressed confidence that the ODL initiative would help widen access to quality education, since it awards the same degrees while giving more prospective students a chance to study their preferred courses.

Agboola further revealed that the university had achieved notable infrastructural progress over the last four years, cleared about ₦2.1 billion in outstanding pension and gratuity payments, and grown its annual revenue from ₦7 billion to more than ₦11 billion.

He said ICT-based reforms had also significantly cut administrative costs, with the institution now running an almost entirely paperless system.

He commended the outgoing Governing Council under Prof. Toyin Ashiru, describing its members as committed and dedicated individuals whose efforts had further reinforced the university's academic standards and overall development.

Speaking earlier, Ashiru said the council had prioritised integrity, innovation, accountability and transformative policymaking throughout its tenure, aimed at repositioning the university.

He thanked his colleagues for their dedication and urged them to remain invested in the growth of both the institution and Ogun State.

Also speaking, Arigbabu commended the outgoing council for its strategic leadership, sound governance practices, and its cordial working relationship with university management despite difficult economic conditions.

He noted that the achievements outlined during the retreat reflected only a portion of what the council had accomplished over four years, adding that he was confident its legacy of stability, teamwork and institutional excellence would continue shaping the future of the state-owned university.

The commissioner reaffirmed the Ogun State Government's commitment to upholding academic standards, stressing that due process continues to guide decisions relating to admissions, appointments and institutional administration a policy he said has further boosted public confidence in the state's tertiary education system.