The data made available by JAMB on the 2023 UTME has revealed that the highest percentage of candidates for the examination chose medicine as their first-choice course of study in universities. The data also shows the number of candidates that applied for various categories of courses/disciplines and the available slots in Nigerian Universities.
These statistics can inform candidates and let them know the least competitive courses, which can improve interest in such courses and encourage them to consider and potentially study such courses. The breakdown of the number of candidates that applied for each field of study and the available slots in the various universities are as follows;
- For medicine; a total of 452,443 candidates applied, whereas there are only 78,578 MBBS admission slots.
- For Social Science courses, a total of 239,018 candidates applied whereas, there are only 97,744 vacancies;
- For Science-reated courses, a total of 227,453 candidates applied whereas there are 141,397 available slots.
- For engineering courses, a total of 163,123 candidates applied whereas there are 68,896 available slots
- For admin-related courses, a total of 117,792 candidates applied, whereas there are only 38,725 vacancies.
- For arts and humanities, JAMB revealed that a total of 85,264 candidates will battle for 52,221 slots.
- For education related courses, only 52,702 candidates applied despite a vacancy of 111,176.
- For agriculture- related courses, only 20,133 candidates applied despite a vacancy of 30,536.
Reacting to this, the Programme Director, Reform Education Nigeria, Ayodamola Oluwatoyin, said the statistics show the need for proper sensitisation of students at the secondary school level. He said, “We live in an age when it doesn’t matter your course of study. What matters are your skills. There used to be a time when people believed that if you were not a doctor or a nurse, you wouldn’t be successful; but this is not right, these days we have people venturing into tech jobs, among others.
“Another factor is the unequal distribution of jobs across sectors. These days, people believe that once you study education, you will end up as a teacher in a private school, or if you study agriculture, you won’t get a proper job. The government itself needs to set the pace to ensure that there is investment in every sector. When you invest in agriculture, education and there are good jobs, you’ll see that candidates will begin to apply to these courses and this will correct this imbalance we are seeing.”
