The Role of University Education in Sustainable Development in Nigeria: A Study of Federal University Lafia, Nasarawa, State

Abstract

This research study examines the role of university education in sustainable development. Particularly, it focuses on the connections and contributions of university education to the economic, social and political growth of the nation, and the challenges that universities face in achieving their functions. The research is a study of Federal University, Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria, carried out through a survey research design by employing both quantitative and qualitative methods to generate data. Questionnaires were administered to the Staff of the university and data gathered were analyzed using inferential statistics with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and the Chi-Square method. The research findings indicate that government policies on education over the past thirty years have been tremendous but inconsistent, realistic but lack proper implementation plan. Additionally, university education is a tool for poverty alleviation, job creation and employment, improving the living standards of the people and the promotion of entrepreneurship. However, while university education impacts positively on sustainable development, there is need for improvement in the areas of infrastructure development, funding and management of universities by the government.