5,000 applicants scramble for 50 OOU nursing slots – VC

Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) is experiencing an unprecedented surge in demand for its programs, with Vice-Chancellor Prof. Ayodeji Agboola reporting that 5,000 candidates applied for just 50 nursing science slots for the 2026/2027 academic session. The university also saw 4,000 applications for Mass Communication, which has 120 available places.

This overwhelming interest is attributed to significant reforms and strategic policy initiatives implemented over the past four years, which have bolstered public confidence in the institution. To meet this demand, OOU plans to introduce four highly sought-after programs, Nursing Science, Mass Communication, Computer Science, and Business Administration, into its Open and Distance Learning program starting in the 2026/2027 academic session.

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For our Open and Distance Learning programme, we had 100 students in the 2022/2023 academic session. By 2025/2026, the figure had increased to 307 students. We have now graduated the first set, which is the minimum requirement stipulated by the NUC.

The university's enhanced profile is reflected in its enrollment figures, which grew from 27,785 in 2022 to 34,657 in 2026. OOU's global ranking has also seen substantial improvement, moving from approximately 4,000 globally in 2022 to around 2,700 in 2026, and it now ranks 15th among Nigerian universities and 51st in Africa. These details were shared during a valedictory retreat for the outgoing Governing Council members.

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So, from the 2026/2027 academic session, we are introducing four new programmes that are highly sought after, Nursing, Mass Communication, Computer Science and Business Administration.