ETHNICIZATION OF UNIVERSITY EDUCATION AND NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT: THE NIGERIAN EXPERIENCE
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At the base of national development is an advancement in education; specifically university education.
The Nigerian case reveals that the system of education is at the mercy of state’s internal intricacies.
The issue of ethnicity, which has fuelled distrust, suspicion and competition among the ethnic groups
has resulted in the introduction of certain resolutions such as quota system, federal character, revenue
allocation, rotation, zoning, etc. which have further exacerbated the issue; normalizing and legalizing
ethnicity. The destructive effects of ethnicity have trickled down to education, and national
development remains at the receiving end. In fact, it reflects in the county’s public university admission
process, appointment of university dons, and even in the location of university facilities: culminating in
the deprivation of university education for qualified applicants, displacement of frustrated students and
brilliant academics abroad, and the eventual loss of those that could assist in national development to
more inclusive societies of the world. As one of the world’s most pluralised society, Nigeria becomes
the preferred case for the study. A descriptive-analytical approach is applied, while the data are
basically collected from texts, institutional records and academic journals. Findings indicate that merit
is sacrificed at the altar of national integrity and political accommodation.
Keywords
H Social Sciences (General), JA Political science (General), JC Political theory