Analysis of Engineering courses in Nigerian Universities - admission rates, Most preferred courses and Universities

1. ENGINEERING COURSES IN
NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES:
StatiSense
ENROLMENT, APPLICATION, ADMISSION
AND MOST PREFERRED COURSES &
UNIVERSITIES

2. INTRODUCTION
This is a best-effort attempt to determine the probable
number of Engineering Students in Nigerian Universities,
determine from previous records Admission Rates and
identify those Engineering Courses that are most-
preferred among Students in JAMB application.
Data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Joint
Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) are used for
this analysis.
According to the National Universities Commission (NUC),
below are the list of Engineering courses on offer in
Nigerian Universities:
AEROSPACE | AGRICULTURAL | AUTOMOTIVE | BIOMEDICAL | CERAMIC | CHEMICAL | CIVIL | COMPUTER | ELECTRICAL |
ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS | ELECTRONICS | ENVIRONMENTAL | FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY | INDUSTRIAL AND
PRODUCTION | INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION | MARINE | MATERIALS AND METALLURGICAL | MECHANICAL |
MECHATRONICS | METALLURGICAL | MINING | OPERATIONS RESEARCH | PETROCHEMICAL | PETROLEUM | PETROLEUM
AND GAS | POLYMER | PUBLIC HEALTH | REFRIGERATION AND AIR-CONDITIONING | STRUCTURAL | SYSTEMS |
TELECOMMUNICATIONS | TEXTILE AND POLYMER | WATER RESOURCES | WOOD PRODUCTS

3. OBJECTIVES
Number of
Engineering
Students
Admission
Rates
Most
preferred
Engineering
Courses

4. ENGINEERING AND NUMBER OF UNIVERSITY
Number of Nigerian universities where candidates
applied to between 2011 and 2016 to study Engineering
courses.
YEAR NO. OF UNIVERSITY
2016 63
2015 61
2014 60
2013 55
2012 55
2011 60

5. ENROLMENT IN FEDERAL UNIVERSITIES [2001 – 2006]
DISCIPLINES 2001/2002 2002/2003 2003/2004 2004/2005 2005/2006
ADMINISTRATION 29,407 29,741 45,247 47,886 29,757
AGRICULTURE 18,557 27,201 30,457 26,455 22,022
ARTS 31,182 31,456 35,585 38,589 33,998
EDUCATION 33,782 33,798 48,230 48,889 49,247
ENGINEERING/TECH/ENV 58,142 65,659 69,852 78,555 75,792
LAW 14,395 13,896 15,430 18,506 16,299
MEDICINE 26,360 25,426 28,001 31,540 25,884
PHARMACY 5,727 5,873 5,967 5,538 4,740
SCIENCE 59,361 74,933 78,761 97,724 75,187
SOCIAL SCIENCE 45,320 38,154 54,450 52,924 56,725
VETERINARY MEDICINE 3,474 3,365 7,273 3,771 3,735
TOTAL 325,707 349,502 419,253 450,377 393,386
Source: NBS, Social Statistics In Nigeria, 2009

6. PERCENTAGE OF ENGINEERING STUDENTS:
[2001 – 2006]
Source: NBS, Social Statistics In Nigeria, 2009
DISCIPLINES 2001/2002 2002/2003 2003/2004 2004/2005 2005/2006
ENGINEERING/TECH/ENV 58,142 65,659 69,852 78,555 75,792
TOTAL STUDENT 325,707 349,502 419,253 450,377 393,386
STUDENT % 17.85 18.79 16.66 17.44 19.27
BETWEEN 2001 AND 2006; ENGINEERING/ ENVIRONMENTAL
SCIENCE STUDENTS MAKE UP 18% OF STUDENTS ENROLMENT
IN FEDERAL UNIVERSITIES IN NIGERIA.

7. PERCENTAGE OF ENGINEERING STUDENTS
DISCIPLINES 2001/2002 2002/2003 2003/2004 2004/2005 2005/2006
ENGINEERING STUDENT % 17.85% 18.79% 16.66% 17.44% 19.27%
15.00%
15.50%
16.00%
16.50%
17.00%
17.50%
18.00%
18.50%
19.00%
19.50%
2001/2002 2002/2003 2003/2004 2004/2005 2005/2006
17.85%
18.79%
16.66%
17.44%
19.27%
PERCENTAGE OF ENGINEERING STUDENT (2001-2006)
18%
Average percentage
of Engineering
Students over 5yrs

8. ADMISSION RATE OF ENGINEERING STUDENTS
[2010 – 2014]
UTME
APPLICATION
UTME
ADMISSION
UTME – Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination

9. UTME APPLICATION [2010 – 2014]
FACULTY 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
ADMINISTRATION 263,723 251,600 199,923 200,251 162,181
AGRICULTURE 18,025 24,605 26,064 37,973 35,390
ARTS/HUMANITIES 79,226 106,671 108,325 132,290 119,170
EDUCATION 50,840 61,210 63,719 89,304 82,287
ENG/TECH/ENV 189,562 195,900 204,397 217,916 207,680
LAW/LEGAL 75,581 81,508 84,455 92,569 88,153
MEDICINE 204,730 213,966 224,872 256,495 270,107
SCIENCES 169,168 208,201 210,229 244,434 235,120
SOCIAL SCIENCES 279,340 307,483 330,890 397,082 376,169
TOTAL APPLICATION 1,330,195 1,451,144 1,452,874 1,668,314 1,576,257
FACULTY 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
ENG/TECH/ENV 189,562 195,900 204,397 217,916 207,680
TOTAL APPLICATION 1,330,195 1,451,144 1,452,874 1,668,314 1,576,257
ENG/TECH/ENV % 14.25% 13.50% 14.07% 13.06% 13.18%
AN AVERAGE OF 14% OF UTME APPLICANTS DESIRE TO STUDY
ENGINEERING & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
Environmental Science is 1% of ENG/TECH/ENV

10. APPLICANTS & GENDER [2010 – 2014]
ENG/TECH
/ENV
YEAR MALE FEMALE TOTAL MALE% FEMALE%
2010 169,038 20,524 189,562 89% 11%
2011 173,444 22,456 195,900 89% 11%
2012 181,567 22,830 204,397 89% 11%
2013 194,026 23,890 217,916 89% 11%
2014 186,529 21,151 207,680 90% 10%
89% ENGINEERING &
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
APPLICANTS ARE MALE

11. UTME ADMISSION [2012 – 2014]
FACULTY 2012 2013 2014
ADMINISTRATION 19,916 21,669 14,791
AGRICULTURE 13,295 15,363 16,301
ARTS/HUMANITIES 23,256 27,221 25,047
EDUCATION 37,311 37,770 37,293
ENG/TECH/ENV 29,338 31,932 29,834
LAW/LEGAL 6,189 8,148 5,672
MEDICINE 15,667 20,940 15,152
SCIENCES 48,211 52,111 49,184
SOCIAL SCIENCES 39,675 20,075 36,944
TOTAL ADMISSION 232,858 235,229 230,218
ON AVERAGE, 14% OF JAMB CANDIDATES OFFERED ADMISIONS ARE
ENGINEERING & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES STUDENTS
FACULTY 2012 2013 2014
ENG/TECH/ENV 29,338 31,932 29,834
TOTAL ADMISSION 232,858 235,229 230,218
ENG/TECH/ENV % 13% 14% 13%

12. ADMISSION & GENDER [2012 – 2014]
ENG/TECH
/ENV
YEAR MALE FEMALE TOTAL MALE% FEMALE%
2012 25,209 4,129 29,338 86% 14%
2013 27,457 4,475 31,932 86% 14%
2014 26,040 3,794 29,834 87% 13%
AVERAGE ADMISSION
FOR MALE IS 86% WHILE
FEMALE IS 14%

13. APPLICANTS : ADMISSION [2012 – 2014]
ENG/TECH/
ENV
YEAR APPLICATION ADMISSION ADMISSION RATE
2012 204,397 29,338 14%
2013 217,916 31,932 15%
2014 207,680 29,834 14%
APPLICATION ADMISSION
2012
2013
2014
10,000 10,000
ADMISSION RATE FOR ENGINEERING & ENVIRONMENTAL
SCIENCE STUDENTS IS APPROXIMATELY 14%

14. COMPLETION RATE
Unfortunately, there are no widespread availability of data to
compute this value for Nigerian Universities and the Engineering
discipline in particular.
To effectively determine completion rate for Engineering,
Application, Admission and Graduation list of different schools
would be necessary.
A case in point is the University of Lagos (UNILAG), with
Admission data for 2010/2011 and Graduation data for
2015/2016 but no Application data for same year. (Compiled by Wale Micaiah
from UNILAG Website, 2010)
In 2010/2011; UNILAG admitted a total of 7,478 Candidates, of
which 783 were Engineering. Being a 5yr course, in 2015/2016;
UNILAG graduated 366 Students from the Faculty of
Engineering. (Compiled by Wale Micaiah from UNILAG Website, 2010)
This amounts to just 46.73% Completion Rate. There are no sufficient
data to establish if this a true reflection of the completion rate of
Engineering Students in UNILAG or Nigerian Universities. Therefore, no
inference can be made except for the year in question.

15. WHAT IS THE PROBABLE NUMBER OF
ENGINEERING & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
STUDENTS IN NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES?

16. NO. OF ENGINEERING & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE STUDENTS
FACULTY 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 TOTAL
ENG/TECH/ENV
(APPLICATION)
189,562 195,900 204,397 217,916 207,680
@ 14% ADMISSION RATE 26,539 27,426 28,616 30,508 29,075 142,164
Key Assumptions:
I – A 14% flat admission rate is assumed for all admissions from 2010 to 2014
II – It is not realistic that all candidates admitted to study Engineering &
Environmental Sciences in Year I proceeds to Year II
III – It is assumed that while some students may drop out, some may seek
transfer to courses in other Faculties, thereby leading to reduction in
total students in Engineering and Environmental Sciences
TAKING ALL THESE PARAMETERS INTO
CONSIDERATION; CURRENTLY, NIGERIA HAVE LESS
THAN 142,164 STUDENTS ENROLLED IN ENGINEERING
& ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES IN UNIVERSITIES

17. MOST PREFERRED –
1
2
3
1
WHICH IS THE MOST PREFERRED COURSES & UNIVERSITIES?

18. TOP ENGINEERING COURSES & UNIVERSITIES
COURSE NO. OF UNIVERSITY
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 52
CIVIL ENGINEERING 50
ELECTRICAL/ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING 41
CHECMICAL ENGINEERING 29
COMPUTER ENGINEERING 26
AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING 18
PETROLEUM ENGINEERING 15
SURVEYING AND GEOINFORMATICS 15
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING 11
METALLURGICAL AND MATERIAL ENGINEERING 9
DO WE HAVE SUFFICIENT NUMBER OF UNIVERSITIES
PROVIDING OPPORTUNITY FOR THE STUDY OF
ENGINEERING COURSES IN NIGERIA?
Data according to 2016 UTME Application

19. UTME APPLICATION (2011 – 2015)
Application here refers to Number of Candidates that purchased the UTME form as it is possible to register but not sit for the exam
FACULTY 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
ADMINISTRATION 326,387 289,300 225,225 187,082 206,267
AGRICULTURE 23,255 28,726 38,056 36,037 28,372
ARTS/HUMANITIES 72,736 64,649 124,653 114,098 86,151
EDUCATION 60,293 68,611 70,037 83,260 71,007
ENGINEERING 172,921 173,942 192,377 182,124 168,594
ENVIRON. SCIENCES 23,771 28,007 31,055 32,293 32,791
LAW/LEGAL 81,396 87,800 98,545 93,222 91,385
MEDICINE 215,098 232,945 276,263 285,076 289,689
SCIENCES 214,419 211,956 243,325 237,783 207,635
SOCIAL SCIENCES 289,560 313,766 418,273 381,180 293,611
TOTAL APPLICATION 1,479,836 1,499,702 1,717,809 1,632,155 1,475,502
FACULTY 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
ENGINEERING 172,921 173,942 192,377 182,124 168,594
ENVIRON. SCIENCES 23,771 28,007 31,055 32,293 32,791
TOTAL APPLICATION 196,692 201,949 223,432 214,417 201,385
ENGINEERING % 88% 86% 86% 85% 84%
ENVIRON. SCIENCES % 12% 14% 14% 15% 16%

20. TOP 10 COURSES TOTAL UNIVERSITY
2
0
1
1
MECHANICAL 32,268 FUTO (3,885)
ELECTRICAL /ELECTRONICS 29,659 FUTO (4,688)
CIVIL 28,601 FUTA (2,457)
PETROLEUM 16,952 FUTO (4,108)
CHEMICAL 14,605 ABU (2,337)
COMPUTER 8,954 OAU (1,753)
ELECTRICAL 8,073 ABU (2,470)
ELECTRICAL ELECTRONICS AND COMPUTER 4,838 FUTMINNA (3,482)
COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING 2,675 LAUTECH (2,675)
FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 2,642 FUNAAB (837)
TOP 10 COURSES TOTAL UNIVERSITY
2
0
1
2
CIVIL 33,010 FUTO (2,744)
MECHANICAL 32,978 FUTO (4,066)
ELECTRICAL/ELECTRONICS 29,226 FUTO (4,986)
PETROLEUM 14,377 FUTO (4,668)
CHEMICAL 13,733 FUTO (2,029)
COMPUTER 10,914 UNIBEN (1,675)
ELECTRICAL 8,342 UNN (1,780)
PETROLEUM AND GAS 5,368 UNIPORT (3,912)
ELECTRICAL ELECTRONICS AND COMPUTER 3,321 FUTMINNA (2,212)
ACCOUNTING TECHNOLOGY 2,173 FUTY (1,083)
TOP 10 MOST PREFERRED COURSES & UNIVERSITIES

21. TOP 10 COURSES TOTAL UNIVERSITY
2
0
1
3
CIVIL 39,674 FUTO (3,069)
MECHANICAL 36,959 FUTO (3,921)
ELECTRICAL /ELECTRONICS 34,450 FUTO (4,688)
PETROLEUM 15,376 FUTO (4,748)
CHEMICAL 13,455 FUTO (2,031)
COMPUTER 12,386 UNIBEN (1,937)
ELECTRICAL 7,271 UNN (1,832)
PETROLEUM AND GAS 4,802 UNIPORT (3,275)
ELECTRICAL ELECTRONICS AND COMPUTER 3,969 FUTMINNA (2,241)
ACCOUNTING TECHNOLOGY 2,158 MAUTECH (790)
TOP 10 COURSES TOTAL UNIVERSITY
2
0
1
4
CIVIL 40,757 FUTO (2,761)
MECHANICAL 36,006 FUTO (3,263)
ELECTRICAL / ELECTRONICS 33,570 FUTO (4,106)
PETROLEUM 14,196 FUTO (4,130)
CHEMICAL 11,841 FUTO (1,766)
COMPUTER 11,287 UNIBEN (1,656)
ELECTRICAL 6,859 ABU (1,449)
PETROLEUM AND GAS 4,235 UNIPORT (2,955)
ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER 2,128 FUTMINNA (2,128)
MARINE 1,916 RSUST (912)
TOP 10 MOST PREFERRED COURSES & UNIVERSITIES
MAUTECH (Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola). It used to be FUTY

22. TOP 10 MOST PREFERRED COURSES & UNIVERSITIES
YEAR TOP 10 COURSES TOTAL UNIVERSITY
2
0
1
5
CIVIL 37,735 FUTA (2,278)
MECHANICAL 34,117 FUTO (2,857)
ELECTRICAL /ELECTRONICS 28,815 FUTO (3,519)
PETROLEUM 13,578 FUTO (3,739)
CHEMICAL 10,912 FUTO (1,562)
COMPUTER 10,772 UNIBEN (1,571)
ELECTRICAL 7,598 ABU (1,676)
PETROLEUM AND GAS 4,129 UNIPORT (2,727)
MARINE 2,133 RSUST (949)
ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER 1,832 FUTMINNA (1,832)
YEAR TOP 10 COURSES TOTAL UNIVERSITY
2
0
1
6
CIVIL 40,013 UNILORIN (2,883)
MECHANICAL 36,284 FUTO (2,872)
ELECTRICAL /ELECTRONICS 30,569 FUTO (3,550)
COMPUTER 14,636 UNIBEN (1,737)
PETROLEUM 12,572 FUTO (3,136)
CHEMICAL 11,179 UNIBEN (1,571)
ELECTRICAL 7,555 ABU (1,965)
PETROLEUM AND GAS 3,578 UNIPORT (2,478)
MARINE 2,462 RSUST (1,124)
ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER 2,287 FUTMINNA (2,287)

23. CIVIL ENGINEERING IS THE MOST
PREFERRED ENGINEERING COURSE IN
NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES
FUTO IS THE MOST PREFERRED
UNIVERSITY FOR SOME TOP
ENGINEERING COURSES
K E Y F I N D I N G S

24. CIVIL
MECHANICAL
ELECT/ELECT
CHEMICAL COMPUTER
PETROLEUM
ELECTRICAL
PETROLEUM
& GAS
ELECT/ELECT &
COMPUTER
ACCOUNTING

25. FUTO
UNIPORT FUTMINNA
ABU FUTA UNN
UNIBEN
LAUTECH
OAU
RSUST
MAUTECH
FUNAAB
LAUTECH
MAUTECH RSUST

26. COURSE YEAR UNIVERSITY
ACCOUNTING TECHNOLOGY
2012 FUTYOLA (1,083)
2013 MAUT (790)
CHEMICAL
2011 ABU (2,337)
2012 FUTO (2,029)
2013 FUTO (2,031)
2014 FUTO (1,766)
2015 FUTO (1,562)
CIVIL
2011 FUTA (2,457)
2012 FUTO (2,744)
2013 FUTO (3,069)
2014 FUTO (2,761)
2015 FUTA (2,278)
COMPUTER
2011 OAU (1,753)
2012 UNIBEN (1,675)
2013 UNIBEN (1,937)
2014 UNIBEN (1,656)
2015 UNIBEN (1,571)
COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING 2011 LAUTECH (2,675)
ELECTRICAL
2011 ABU (2,470)
2012 UNN (1,780)
2013 UNN (1,832)
2014 ABU (1,449)
2015 ABU (1,676)
ELECTRICAL /ELECTRONICS
2014 FUTO (4,106)
2011 FUTO (4,688)
2013 FUTO (4,688)
2015 FUTO (3,519)
ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER
2014 FUTMINNA (2,128)
2015 FUTMINNA (1,832)
ELECTRICAL ELECTRONICS AND COMPUTER
2011 FUTMINNA (3,482)
2012 FUTMINNA (2,212)
2013 FUTMINNA (2,241)
ELECTRICAL/ELECTRONICS 2012 FUTO (4,986)
FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 2011 FUNAAB (837)
MARINE
2014 RSUST (912)
2015 RSUST (949)
MECHANICAL
2011 FUTO (3,885)
2012 FUTO (4,066)
2013 FUTO (3,921)
2014 FUTO (3,263)
2015 FUTO (2,857)
PETROLEUM
2011 FUTO (4,108)
2012 FUTO (4,668)
2013 FUTO (4,748)
2014 FUTO (4,130)
2015 FUTO (3,739)
PETROLEUM AND GAS
2012 UNIPORT (3,912)
2013 UNIPORT (3,275)
2014 UNIPORT (2,955)
2015 UNIPORT (2,727)
2016 Records excluded
TOP COURSES IN NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES

27. ACCOUNTING TECH. MAUTECH
CHEMICAL ABU & FUTO
CIVIL FUTO & FUTA
COMPUTER UNIBEN & OAU
COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING LAUTECH
ELECTRICAL ABU & UNN
ELECTRICAL / ELECTRONICS FUTO
ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER FUTMINNA
ELECTRICAL ELECTRONICS AND COMPUTER FUTMINNA
ELECTRICAL/ ELECTRONICS FUTO
FOOD SCIENCE
AND TECHNOLOGY
FUNAAB
MARINE RSUST
MECHANICAL FUTO
PETROLEUM FUTO
PETROLEUM AND GAS UNIPORT
MOST PREFERRED UNIVERSITIES (ENGINEERING)

28. QUESTIONS FROM THIS ANALYSIS
 Civil Engineering is the most preferred course among all Engineering courses;
but does Nigeria have enough provision to meet the working needs of its
graduates?
 Is Civil Engineering the main Engineering discipline Nigeria should be focusing
on to compete in the knowledge economy?
 Nigeria probably churns out far less than 100,000 Engineering Graduates
yearly, is this sufficient to cater for the growing population?
 Most Engineering courses produces the highest number of first classes in
some schools, does Nigeria have enough channels to engage these brains
productively?
 Are we producing enough professionals sufficient to make Nigeria an
industrialized, innovative and technology proficient economy?
 Have we identified key Engineering disciplines that are going extinct, and
are there plans to revitalize interests in such?
 Is Nigeria investing resources enough in the Systems and Processes leading
to the production of Engineering Graduates?
 Are there relevant Engineering courses that are facing extinction in Nigeria?
IS NIGERIA PRODUCING ENGINEERING GRADUATES WITH THE
TECHNICAL KNOW-HOW OF MEETING NATIONAL ASPIRATIONS
AND SOLVING NATIONAL NEEDS THROUGH TECHNOLOGY
LEADING TO TECHNOLOGICAL EMANCIPATION OF NIGERIA?

29. Reference –
Joint Admissions And Matriculation Board (JAMB), Unified Tertiary
Matriculation Examination, Application and Admission Statistics, viewed on
March 4, 2016.
http://www.jamb.gov.ng/Statistics.aspx
1
National Bureau of Statistics 2009, Social Statistics In Nigeria. Downloaded in
2010 from nigerianstat.gov.ng/3
Joint Admissions And Matriculation Board (JAMB), Unified Tertiary
Matriculation Examination (UTME), Statistics of Courses within Selected
Institution downloaded 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016.
http://www.jamb.org.ng/Unifiedtme3/CheckInstitutionStatisitics.aspx
2
National Universities Commission (NUC), Benchmark Minimum Academic
Standards for Undergraduate Programmes in Nigerian Universities,
Engineering And Technology, 2014 (DRAFT). Viewed from http://nuc.edu.ng/
4

30. Analyst: Wale Micaiah
e: walegate@yahoo.com
m: 08078001800
w: www.statisense.com
Freely share, freely use and
freely acknowledge the
source – © Wale Micaiah