Political and Institutional Factors in the Funding of Higher Education in Nigeria

The demand for higher education all over the world is on the increase as the expectations of every recipient of higher education is to acquire knowledge needed for a meaningful and better life in all aspects. Stagnant economy and increasing global inequalities have reduced governments and households’ educational financial resources, and in Africa the challenge is severe. This increasing demand for higher education has generated a lot of pressures leading to concerns and debates on how the sector should be funded and who does the funding. In Nigeria, for example, one of such concerns is that public universities have been closed down since February 2022 due to an industrial action embarked on by members of academic staff under the aegis of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) over issues of funding of universities. It is of concern that the budgetary allocation to education in Nigeria in the past seven years has been less than eight percent while a chunk of the budget goes to the political class which unfortunately the spending cannot be accounted for.  This study interrogated the political and institutional factors associated with the funding of higher education in Nigeria.  The study adopted social justice approach to the access and funding of higher education in the country. Using the social justice framework, this study investigated the political and institutional interplay influencing the funding structure in universities in Nigeria. The study, through a critique of the current form of capitalist political system in Nigeria advanced the system of social democracy, a socialist system of government achieved by democratic means and the collective good of all and not just a few which is obtainable in the current capitalist system in place.  The study contributed to the existing body of knowledge by advancing a realistic, sustainable but equitable funding model (s) of higher education in Nigeria. Keywords: Higher Education, Funding, Politics, Institutions, Nigeria. DOI: 10.7176/JEP/14-18-10 Publication date:June 30th 202

Internationalisation of higher education in the new normal in universities: university management perspectives

Universities are universal communities where knowledge is transmitted. It is expected that such knowledge should be globally relevant. Internationalisation of Higher Education is the integration of global dimensions into the delivery of higher education. New normal came because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted every sector of human life including education. This had a great effect on public universities as most of them lacked the capacity to switch online. This constituted a setback for the academic calendar. The mixed method research design was adopted for the study. Purposive sampling technique was used to select two states based on concentration of universities. These include Ogun State with 12 universities and Osun State with 11 universities. Both States have the highest number of universities in Nigeria. The Management is represented in the study by Heads of Department (HODs). Sixty HODs were selected from Ogun State, while 55 HODs were selected from Osun State. The study found out that internationalisation in universities is faced with challenges, which include funding and insecurity among others. The paper recommended among others the need for all beneficiaries of university education to be involved in funding universities to cope with the realities of the new normal

Implications of Career Choice of Undergraduates on their Employability Prospects in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR)

Choice of career is one of the most important decisions that everyone makes in life. This choice in most cases determines placement in the workplace. The determinants of the choices students make career-wise include parents, peers, passion and perceived prospects among others. The choice of career made by individuals have long-term implications on their employability status most especially in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) which aims at raising global income levels and improve the quality of life for populations around the world through applied science and technology. The descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The multi-stage sampling procedure was used. A purposive sampling technique was used to select five faculties out of the existing thirteen faculties at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Five hundred (500) undergraduates were selected across the five selected faculties using simple random sampling technique with 100 students selected from each faculty. Descriptive and Inferential statistics were used to analyse the data collected for the study. The study found out that parental values and expectations has significant influence on the career choice of students and that career choice in turn has significant relationship with their employability prospects. The paper recommended among others the need for students to be allowed to make their career choices based on interest and ability with proper guidance by parents and surrogate parents.&nbsp

The Social Harms of Academics’ Abuse in Nigerian Universities: Failed Ethical Leadership

Universities are higher institutions where a high level of manpower training is provided for the development of the total man. At the centre of this is the role of members of the academics. The three core function of the academic staff is teaching, research and service. Over the years, there have been cases of abuse of academics in Nigerian universities which has been a source of concern to relevant stakeholders. Abuse of Academics is any form of unethical treatment given to university academics in the course of discharging their duties. The study argues that the abuse of academic staff is an indication of failed ethical leadership. Drawing on the social harms theory, it provides evidence of the hazardous use of power against academics. In this case study of Obafemi Awolowo University, thirty academic staff across all cadres and genders were interviewed. The findings reveal that academic abuse has been an age-long problem in Nigerian universities. The study further shows the causes of academic abuse to be rooted in the fact that government does not place priority on education which makes its budgetary allocation to the sector very ridiculous