CHAPTER ONE
- background of the study
In the Nigeria education system we have three basic levels of education, namely, the primary post primary and tertiary levels.
The tertiary level has to do with the education beyond the post primary level. Thus, the tertiary institutions are institution that provide higher education and are concerned with the education and training of middle level and high of manpower.
Before 1970, five universities namely university of Ibadan (UI), University of Lagos (Unilag), University of Nigeria, Nsuka (UNN), Ahmadu Bello University Zaria (ABU) and University of Benin (Uniben). College of Education were found in the country with the emergence oil boom in the 1970’s and the creation of nineteen states structure in 1976. more federal and state tertiary institutions were established in different parts of the country as time went on. The trend has continued to the present day where there are thirty – two (32) universities, about forty (40) polytechnics and fifty (50) colleges of education. It canbe said that every state in the federation has its own college of education and polytechnics, in addition to the federal – owned ones. Based on this it could be concluded that there has been a remarkable growth in the number of tertiary institutions in the country and certainly presumable, this must have had some effects on the Nigeria economy. Such growth of education facilities and infrastructure is bound to have both positive and negative effects on the teachers and students in the one hand, and the Nigerian society on the other.
The growth of tertiary institutions in the country may lead to overall development of the country and with such growth, of level of literacy will increase, the growth of higher institution may also lead to adequate production and availability of high level manpower. It is expected or anticipated that such growth of a higher institution may lead to some savings, in the nations foreign exchange, which could have been used in importing foreign technical know – how.
On the other hand rapid growth in the number of tertiary institution. In some cases it may create the problem of scurity of manpower to man our students such growth may have some effects in the socio economic and political life of the country.
Since the effect of growth have not been determined, it is, therefore, important that an investigation be carried out with a view to determining the actual effect in Nigerian society. It is for this reason that this study is being carried.