TERTIARY EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY SERVICE PROGRAMMES IN NIGERIA.

Abstract

Community service is a core mandate of Nigerian tertiary institutions, alongside teaching and research. This chapter examines how universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education engage with their host communities through programmes such as public health campaigns, environmental sanitation, skill acquisition, agricultural extension, and public lectures. It explores the objectives and importance of community service—student experiential learning, social impact, bridging town-gown gaps, and reinforcing institutional relevance. The chapter also identifies key challenges inhibiting effective implementation: insufficient funding, weak infrastructure, limited staff motivation, low community engagement, logistical difficulties, and lack of awareness (Ogunode, Iyabode & Olatunde-Aiyedun, 2022; Bidunni, 2013). Drawing on Nigerian case studies, many of which show that well-designed community service programmes generate tangible benefits for both communities and institutions, the chapter proposes sustainable strategies: strengthen institutional–community partnerships; embed community service into curricula; provide dedicated funding and infrastructure; enhance staff and student incentives; and implement monitoring and evaluation frameworks. By adopting these strategies, tertiary institutions in Nigeria can maximise social relevance, foster civic responsibility among students, and contribute more effectively to national development.