Journal of Emerging Trends in Educational Research and Policy Studies: Home

Abstract:
This paper focuses on sustainability of private sector participation in the provision of access to higher education in Nigeria. The purpose of the study is to investigate ways by which private sector can provide access, participate in funding higher education in Nigeria. It is a descriptive research of the survey type which aimed at appraising the role of private sector in the provision of access and funding of higher education. It also aimed at suggesting ways of sustaining their activities and improving on them. Three research questions were raised. The instrument used was Questionnaire tagged Private Sector Participation (PSRQ). It aimed at eliciting information from six hundred and fifty (650) respondents. Stratified Random Sampling technique was used in categorizing the respondents in three groups - higher education administrators, General Public and Private Sector managers. Purposive sampling technique was used in selecting 100 higher education administrators, 250 private sectors managers and 300 member of the general public. Data collected were analyzed using mean, percentages and standard deviation in answering the three research questions raised. Findings showed that there was no significant difference among three groups of subjects sampled, in the areas of access, funding and sustainability. All the respondents believed that private sector should continue to participate in the provision of access, funding and management of higher education. Recommendations were made as follows: Private sector should be encouraged to provide more universities so as to provide more access for teaming population of youths in Nigeria. The Universities should collaborate with the private sector to address the problem of funding and internally generated revenue. Private sector should be encouraged to fund research and development programmes in higher institutions of learning. This study will assist university administrators to explore the strategies of generating revenue for the universities. It will also assists in providing access to higher education for Nigerian Youth.

Keywords: higher education, private sector participation, funding, access, research, sustainability

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