Public Universities in Nigeria: Problems and Solutions

Public universities in Nigeria were initially established to offer higher education opportunities to Nigerian citizens. In the past, Nigerian public universities were globally recognized for their excellence, but the situation has since changed. The performance of these institutions has declined significantly, and various problems have been identified as contributing factors. Among these issues, poor administration stands out as a significant challenge plaguing public universities in Nigeria. This article explores the challenges faced by the administration of these universities, relying on secondary data.

Public universities are government-owned institutions established by an act of parliament to provide post-secondary education for Nigerians. They are tasked with delivering education, conducting research, and serving the community. The primary objectives of higher education in Nigeria include instilling values for individual and societal survival, enhancing intellectual capacities to understand the environment, acquiring physical and intellectual skills to contribute to society, and gaining insight into local and global contexts.

To oversee the external administration and supervision of all Nigerian universities, the federal government established the National Universities Commission. University administration encompasses the allocation of resources to implement university programs, mobilizing human and material resources to achieve university goals, and effectively utilizing resources for teaching, research, and community service. It involves deploying resources to fulfil the university’s mission.

Several challenges confront public universities in Nigeria, including inadequate funding, insufficient academic staff, a lack of infrastructural facilities, brain drain, security concerns, frequent strikes, corruption, insufficient data for planning, and weak administrative leadership. Inadequate funding is a major hindrance to effective university administration. The budget allocated for public universities in Nigeria falls short of the requirements for quality education and infrastructure maintenance. Failure to meet UNESCO’s recommendation of allocating 26% of the national budget to education negatively impacts Nigerian universities.

Another critical issue is the shortage of academic staff. Many public universities in Nigeria lack the financial capacity to hire sufficient faculty members. This shortage, particularly in science-related programs, results in high teacher-student ratios, hampering effective administration. The federal government’s needs assessment revealed that a significant percentage of university lecturers do not possess PhD qualifications, affecting the quality of education. Inadequate infrastructural facilities also pose a significant problem. Many public universities lack essential facilities such as libraries, laboratories, offices, administrative blocks, hostels, and adequate roads, hindering both academic and non-academic activities. This shortage adversely affects the overall administration of educational institutions. In summary, public universities in Nigeria, originally established to provide quality education, face numerous challenges in their administration. These challenges include insufficient funding, a shortage of academic staff, and inadequate infrastructural facilities, which collectively contribute to the decline in the quality of education in the country.

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Another impediment to the effective administration of public universities in Nigeria is the issue of brain drain. Brain drain refers to the emigration of skilled professionals from developing countries to more developed ones in search of better job opportunities. It entails professionals leaving their home countries for foreign destinations in pursuit of more favorable prospects. In the context of Nigeria, numerous lecturers and researchers are departing from public universities to seek improved job offers and a conducive working environment in other African countries and Europe. The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has cautioned the Federal Government against exacerbating brain drain through protracted strikes and an indifferent attitude towards the concerns of ASUU. Factors contributing to brain drain in Nigerian public universities include inadequate motivation, unfavorable working conditions, insecurity, underfunding, and political interference. The repercussions of brain drain in Nigerian public universities encompass a scarcity of lecturers, diminished educational quality, and elevated student-to-teacher ratios.

Corruption within the public university system in Nigeria is another obstacle impeding effective administration. Rampant corruption within Nigerian public universities has obstructed the institutions’ efficient management. Many public universities find themselves in their current state due to corruption within the system. Funds allocated for program implementation, infrastructure development, staff employment, and program enhancement are often misappropriated or diverted into private accounts. According to Punch (2020), a substantial portion of the limited funds allocated to universities is misappropriated. During a confrontation, the government claimed, “the extent of fraud in the universities is astonishing and would shock you. In fact, the worst two organizations they mentioned are the Teaching Hospitals and our universities.” In 2018, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project alleged corruption in several federal universities, including unfair grade allocation, inflated contracts, payroll manipulation, recruitment of unqualified staff, certificate scandals, exam malpractice, sexual harassment, and the graduation of expelled students. Chinyere and Chukwuma (2017) identified various forms of corruption in Nigerian universities, involving students, lecturers, non-academic staff, and administrators. Corruption among students included bribing lecturers for undeserved grades, involvement in cultism, exam malpractice, and attacks on lecturers for thwarting malpractice. Some students also extorted money from fellow students, posing as “lecturers’ aides.”

The appointment of ineffectual administrators in Nigerian public universities represents another significant challenge in university administration. Many university administrators chosen to lead public universities lack the requisite qualifications and experience for effectively managing these institutions in Nigeria. Udida, Bassey, Udofia, and Egbona (2009) argued that some individuals appointed as vice-chancellors of universities are inadequately qualified, lack competence, and possess limited administrative potential. Appointees to such positions must exhibit administrative qualities and serve as role models. Effective leaders should possess integrity, knowledge, and employ contemporary management and leadership styles. They should be visionary and adaptable to the changing dynamics of the education system. Administrators’ performance should be sustained through the efficient utilization of both material and human resources to achieve institutional goals and objectives. Unfortunately, many higher education system managers lack the charisma and interpersonal skills necessary for effective and efficient leadership.

Conclusion

Public universities, which are government-owned institutions, have a primary mission to offer post-secondary education opportunities to Nigerian youth. However, these public universities are currently facing a range of challenges, resulting in their underperformance. This article has identified several issues afflicting these universities, including insufficient funding, a shortage of academic staff, inadequate infrastructure, brain drain, security concerns, strikes, corruption, data inadequacies, political interference, and ineffective administration.

To address these challenges, the following recommendations have been put forward:

1. Increase funding for public universities.
2. Hire additional academic staff to meet the institution’s needs.
3. Improve infrastructure by ensuring adequate facilities are available.
4. Enhance security measures to create a safe environment.
5. Tackle corruption in all its forms within the university system.
6. Provide comprehensive and reliable data for effective planning.
7. Grant autonomy to all public universities to enable them to manage their affairs independently.
8. Motivate academic staff to improve their performance.
9. Enhance data generation and distribution processes.
10. Honor agreements made with union groups within the public universities.
11. Appoint competent administrators to lead the public universities in Nigeria.

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References

Chinyere, A., & Chukwuma, O (2017) Corruption and Administration of Higher Education   Institutions in Nigeria.

Federal Ministry of Education (FME) (2011). 2011 Digest of Educational Statistics. FME, Abuja.

Nwachukwu, P., Stella, A., & Obaoda, A. (2018) Educational Leadership and Management (ELM): Institutional Leaders Value Functions and Effective Management of Universities.

Obi, C. (2015). Challenges of Insecurity and Terrorism in Nigeria: Implication for National         Development (February 28, 2015). OIDA International Journal of Sustainable   Development, 8(2), 11-18.

Ogunode, N., & Abubakar, L. (2020). Public Universities Administration in Nigeria: Challenges           and the ways forward. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Sciences and Advanced            Technology (IJMSAT), 1(12), 25–35.

Udida, I., Bassey, U., Udofia, I., & Egbona, E. (2009). system performance and sustainability of      higher education in Nigeria.

Victoria, C., & Owuama, D. (2016). Constraints in planning and implementation of higher       education programmes in rivers Nigeria. European Scientific Journal