Over 700,000 tertiary admission spaces unfilled in Nigeria in 2025, study shows

More than 700,000 approved tertiary admission spaces in Nigeria went unfilled in 2025, according to The Guardian Nigeria. Of 1,716,154 approved places nationwide, only 1,009,736 were filled, leaving 706,418 vacant — a 58.8 per cent fill rate. Universities filled 74 per cent of slots, while polytechnics and colleges of education managed just 34.3 per cent.

The report, released as 2,243,816 candidates registered for the 2026 UTME, blamed a mismatch between where spaces exist and where candidates can realistically access them, and urged JAMB to publish more detailed admissions data.