The paper examines the performance of students in Mathematics SSCE from 2000-2011 and the carrying capacity of each tertiary institution`s subsector in Nigeria. Admission into the tertiary schools in the country has been examined. Similarly, data on prison inmates from 2007 to 2011 has been provided and analyzed. This is with the aim of establishing a relationship between the SSCE mathematics performance, and admissions into tertiary institutions and its possible consequences on the security and economic challenges of the country. The data were obtained from the Annual Abstract of Statistics (2012) of the National Bureau of Statistics, and extract of similar studies previouslymade. Based on the result of the analysis obtained, the researcher deduced that there is a correlation between the performance of students in mathematics at SSCE level and enrolment into tertiary education level. It was also found that the performance of students in mathematics SSCE from the year 2000-2011 was averagely 40%. Similarly, admissions into tertiary institutions as at 2010 stood at 10%. Additionally, also there was a relationship (r=0.40), although weak, between the performance of students in Mathematics and Prison admissions from 2007-2011. Finally, it was observed that an average of 96% of the prison admissions from 2007-2011 was between the age 16-50year.