ETHNICIZATION OF UNIVERSITY EDUCATION AND NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT: THE NIGERIAN EXPERIENCE

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