EQUITY AND QUALITY OF NIGERIAN TERTIARY EDUCATION: ISSUES AND ITS ETHICAL CHALLENGES

Abstract

Equity and quality tertiary education pose a problem to Nigeria as a nation. Several tertiary educational reform initiatives have been proposed, implemented and reviewed but the opportunity for equity and quality tertiary education in Nigeria seen to be dwindling. Indeed, this situation has ethical challenges for equity and quality of Nigerian tertiary education. This situation, therefore, emphasizes the need to identify the ethical challenges of Equity and Quality of Nigerian Tertiary Education and proffer strategies to tackle them using the south east geographical zone of Nigeria as a focal point. Three research questions were formulated to guide the researchers in conducting the study. The descriptive survey research design was adopted. The population of this study consisted of 104 respondents involving 26 heads of tertiary institutions and chairmen of 3 unions of 26 tertiary institutions in the South Eastern part of Nigeria. No sampling was done owing to the small population. The entire population was used for the study. Data were collected with a researcher-developed questionnaire titled “Ethical challenges of Equity and Quality of Equity and Quality of Nigerian Tertiary education” (ECEQNTE). Mean ratings were used to answer the research questions. The findings imply that unless ethical challenges of Equity and Quality of Nigerian tertiary Education are tackled and eliminated, National development would remain a mirage.