AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE CAUSES AND EFFECT OF CORRUPTION ON ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES IN HIGHER INSTITUTIONS IN NIGERIA

AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE CAUSES AND EFFECT OF CORRUPTION ON ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES IN HIGHER INSTITUTIONS IN NIGERIA

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     Background to the Study

Corruption has become a major factor in the education industry worldwide, not just in Nigeria. Though corruption in education was a late addition to the list of topics covered in corruption studies, it has become a worldwide hot topic. Corruption has taken on such complex dimensions in environments and societies where it has become a practical, trendy, fashionable, and cherishable value system for people’s survival that local, national, and international efforts and actions to check or contain it have consistently failed or contaminated solutions (Lawal and Tobi, 2006). A ray of hope appeared, however, when the United Nations, through General Assembly Resolution 58/4 of October 31, 2003, which took effect on December 14, 2005, initiated actions that, in addition to raising awareness about Anti-corruption strategies aimed to criminalize all forms of corruption. A close examination of the UN’s efforts in this area can point to two directions: raising awareness and sensitizing members of the global community about the existence of corruption and its global condemnation, and establishing a global network of frameworks on which a deliberate fight against corruption can be mounted, initiated, or placed on the global agenda (Lawal and Tobi, 2006). These are in light of the fact that the unbridled blooming of corruption at any level may be a thorn in the flesh for members of the global community. This school of thought holds that corruption crosses national boundaries and can be used to promote heinous and degrading anti-social behavior.

Among these are organized crime, terrorism, drug and human trafficking, and so on.

According to Lawal and Tobi (2006), Nigeria’s level of corruption “presents a classic example of an African nation whose growth has been undermined and hampered by the threat of corrupt practices.” Corruption is so prevalent in Nigeria that the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index ranked Nigeria as the most corrupt country in the world from 1995 to 1997, and the second most corrupt country in the world from 1999. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair recently described Nigeria as “fanatically corrupt” during one of his state visits to the country, implying that corruption is systemic and deeply entrenched in the country.

majority of Nigerians’ mindset (Lawal and Tobi, 2006).

Because of the widespread prevalence of corruption in Nigeria, almost no sector of the Nigerian society is free of corruption. Whatever the case, there are some areas where corruption can wreak havoc on a state and its people, and one such sector is education. This point of view is held because educational corruption is extremely detrimental to the morale and overall health of the Nigerian state. The goal of this article is to demonstrate the prevalence of corruption in Nigeria’s education sector at all levels, from primary to secondary to tertiary, with a particular emphasis on the implications of corruption in the education industry for Nigeria’s national development. In order to

To that end, we will identify patterns, shapes, and forms of corruption in Nigeria’s education sector, as well as those whose activities encourage and support corruption, and, on the one hand, make recommendations on how to address the issue of corruption in Nigeria’s education business (Lawal and Tobi, 2006).

Academic dishonesty can appear in a variety of ways. Sexual harassment and what is commonly referred to as “sorting” are the most common. On campus, “sorting” refers to a situation in which students are forced to pay instructors in order to receive grades that they did not receive during exams. It is so severe that poor but intelligent students who are unable to pay the fees requested by instructors are forced to fail classes. These students must occasionally repeat them, making graduation impossible for them (Lawal and Tobi, 2006). Fail students who do not pay for handouts or textbooks produced by lecturers are another type of academic corruption prevalent in the country’s so-called ivory towers. Some professors even use their academic resources as a form of payment, with each student receiving a set of grades for purchasing their materials. This type of victimization is common in academic settings. Sexual harassment of female students by male professors is considered common among instructors. Professors who are old enough to be the fathers of female undergraduates throw everything to the dogs in exchange for grades in order to get students to go to bed. Academic dishonesty is common on college campuses, but

Officials have chosen to ignore it. As a result, reading about lecturers being caught in the act or being prosecuted is unusual. The story of a University of Lagos professor who allegedly took advantage of a friend’s admission-seeking adolescent daughter by rapping her on campus (the school has since disowned him) is just one of many similar sexual harassment situations on university campuses across the country. Only a few teachers, mostly the elderly, are above board, but the vast majority of younger lecturers participate. The purpose of this research is to look into the causes and effects of corruption on academic activities in Nigerian universities.

1.2 Problem Identification

Aside from the fact that a country requires education, Education in Nigeria is also recognized as a recognized way of achieving possibilities; that would assist the people to remain relevant and preserve resource sustainability for future generations (Ozigi and Ocho, 1981). Reading and writing, whether in science, social sciences, or the arts, are fundamental skills that can help learners become aware of their rights and be useful tools for national development, particularly when historical and religious knowledge is included. Religion is not required, but those who follow God’s guiding principles will be filled with insight and joyful ideas. People with such prospects would investigate and comprehend past issues confronting the country, as well as strive to be aware of the society’s current and future challenges.

utilizing this information reservoir. According to Ozigi and Ocho (1981), Islam was deeply ingrained in the religious beliefs and educational orientation of people in northern Nigeria who participated in a unified Qur’anic education program. According to the author of another book cited, in the southern parts of the country, each ethnic group had its own traditional style of schooling based on its own culture and tradition, with comparable goals and purposes. As a result, education as a life investment is not alien to Nigerian society.

1.3 The Study’s Objectives

The overarching goal of this research is to look into the causes and effects of corruption on academic activities in Nigerian universities. The specific goals are as follows:

i. To investigate the root causes of corruption in Nigeria.

institutions.

ii. To investigate the impact of corruption on academic activities in Nigerian higher education institutions.

iii. To ascertain the prevalence of corruption in academic activities in Nigerian higher education institutions.

iv. To make recommendations on how to reduce corruption in Nigerian higher education institutions.

1.4 Research Issues

The following are some of the questions that this research will attempt to answer:

i. What are the root causes of corruption in Nigerian higher education institutions?

ii. How does corruption affect academic activities in Nigerian higher education institutions?

iii. How prevalent is corruption in academic activities in Nigerian higher education institutions?

iv. What are the recommended methods for combating corruption in Nigerian higher education institutions?

1.5 Importance of the Research

This research is important to the University’s management board.

as it will come to understand what contributes to the indulgence in corrupt practices knowing that discovery can result in harsh penalties such as imprisonment and a severance of their career prospects. This study will provide such understanding through the articulation of students’ ideas and concepts of corruption, as well as a more comprehensive map of higher education student corruption; it will also suggest potential directions for the design and implementation of anti-corruption policies and mechanisms in the higher education sector.

This research will also be useful to the academic community because it will add to the existing body of knowledge.

1.6 The Study’s Scope

The research will look into the causes of corruption in Nigerian higher education institutions. The study will also look into the impact of corruption.

on the academic activities in Nigeria higher institutions. The study will look into the prevalence of corruption in academic activities at Nigerian universities. Finally, the study will make recommendations for reducing corruption in Nigerian higher education institutions. As a result, the research will be limited to Adekunle Ajasin University. The state of Ondo.

1.7 Research limitations

The research work encountered numerous challenges, but two in particular stood out. One of these is the researcher’s time constraint, which limited the areas covered. Another issue was that the researcher had a difficult time gathering information from the students and lecturers at these institutions because they were too busy to attend to the researcher, particularly the lecturers.

1.8 Terminology Definitions

Academic

Extracurricular (ECA) or Extra Academic Activity (EAA) activities are those performed by students that are not part of the regular curriculum of a school or university.

Corruption: Dishonest or fraudulent behavior by those in positions of power, usually involving bribery.

Higher education: Education provided after high school, specifically by colleges, graduate schools, and professional schools.