FINANCING UNIVERSITY EDUCATION IN NIGERIA: IMPLICATIONS FOR STAFF AND STUDENTS’ MANAGEMENT IN THE SOUTH WEST GEO-POLITICAL ZONE

Salako Comfort Taiwo

Demonstration Secondary School

University of Jos, Plateau State

E-mail:comforttaiwo81@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT

Education is widely accepted as a major instrument for promoting socio-economic, political and cultural development. Education is a life-long process that has interpretation in purpose, type and level. It is a means of socializing people into the community, for upholding customs and traditions as well as for the modification or changing of same in conformity with existing ideologies, ideological expansion or reformation. University education aims at generating national development. It should not only to seek to develop the intellectual capacities of individuals to understand and appreciate their environment, but should endeavour to equip recipients with requisite physical and intellectual skills fit for life in the society. The achievement of these objectives, centre round its ability to encourage teaching, research and community service. This paper examined financing university education in Nigeria and its implications for staff and students’ management in the South West Geo- Political Zone for the period of six years (2001-2006). It was found out that the gross inadequate financing of education sector has been rendering the university education incapacitated. Government’s allocation to universities is grossly insufficient to take care of the population explosion of staff and students in these institutions and the funding pattern did not give adequate consideration to the requirement of the universities. Education sector supposed to be given a high priority in budgetary allocations because it produces the skilled manpower for other sectors of the economy. If smaller nations like Ghana and Cameroon could fund education better, there is no reason why Nigeria cannot do better. Therefore, it was recommended that government should allocate more funds into the education sector in order to address the current dreadful decadence in the university system, review upward the pay-package of academics to prevent brain drain, universities should search for better ways of generating revenue to supplement government efforts, some of which are large scale farming, animal breeding industries and consultancy services in the areas of research.

Keywords: Financing, University Education, Management