ASSESSMENT OF STUDENTS' ENROLMENT FOR THE ESTATE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME IN SOUTHWESTERN NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES

This study focused on assessing the enrolment patterns, awareness levels, influencing factors, and labour market perceptions associated with Estate Management programmes in selected universities in southwestern Nigeria. To achieve these objectives, data were elicited from the final year students of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) and Joseph Ayo Babalola University (JABU), alongside selected secondary schools. The research employed a mixed-methods approach combining enrolment trend analysis and data elicited using a structured questionnaire. The sampling frame consisted of 117 students, including 51 final-year university students and 66 SS3 students, while a total of 77 valid responses were retrieved and analysed. Findings revealed a consistent decline and fluctuation in student enrolment, driven in part by limited awareness of Estate Management as a career path at the pre-tertiary level. Key factors influencing enrolment included course prestige, job prospects, tuition fees, and admission availability, while parental influence and career counselling were found to have minimal effect. Furthermore, students perceived the highest job market demand in real estate firms and academia, with widespread uncertainty about employment opportunities in other sectors. Notably, a large proportion of students from both institutions viewed the job market as either shrinking or unclear. The study concludes that poor enrolment is symptomatic of deeper structural issues, including weak career orientation, limited industry-academic linkages, and outdated curricular content. The study recommends targeted interventions involving career education reforms, curriculum modernisation, and stronger collaboration between secondary schools, universities, industry, and professional bodies to realign Estate Management education with contemporary market demands.