CHALLENGES IN THE PROLIFERATION OF PRIVATE HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN NIGERIA: ADDRESSING SYSTEMIC ISSUES AND ENHANCING QUALITY

Abstract

Nigeria has experienced significant growth in private higher education over the past decade, as private universities emerged to meet excess demand beyond public sector capacity. While this expansion has widened access, concerns remain about quality assurance, accreditation, financial stability, staffing, and infrastructure. This paper reports a secondary empirical synthesis, drawing on studies, policy documents, and regulatory statements published between 2010 and 2025.The review highlights five systemic challenges: (1) weak regulatory capacity and inconsistent accreditation, (2) dependence on tuition-based financing, (3) shortages of full-time faculty and reliance on adjuncts, (4) inadequate infrastructure and weak research ecosystems, and (5) fragmented governance and poor sector coordination. These challenges are interconnected, with fragile funding models constraining staffing and infrastructure, while regulatory weaknesses undermine quality assurance. Addressing these issues requires coordinated reforms. Key recommendations include strengthening the operational capacity and transparency of the National Universities Commission (NUC), diversifying financing through endowments and public–private partnerships, creating pathways for faculty development and retention, linking programme approvals to staged infrastructure benchmarks, and improving governance through centralized data systems and clearer regulatory mandates. If implemented, these reforms would allow private universities to evolve from primarily widening access to becoming sustainable contributors to Nigeria’s human capital development. The findings emphasize the urgency of multi-stakeholder action involving regulators, institutions, industry, and development partners to ensure that private higher education fulfills its transformative potential.