Challenges of educational policy implementation in Nigeria: the implication for national development

Abstract

The implementation of educational policy in Nigeria has been disrupted and challenged by certain anomaly that deprived achievement of educational set goals. This paper examined the challenges of the implementation of educational policy, and implications to national development. The paper positioned that some of the challenges are; inadequate funding, political influence, weak leadership, corruption, inadequate resources, poor condition of service among others. The study viewed higher education as being unique to national development with numerous challenges and its graduates cannot compete favourably in the world due to haphazard achievement of set goals. Brain drain is seen to be a challenge that has compounded shortages of lecturers in higher education; and poor condition of service aggravated incessant strike actions resulting to unstable calendar. Quality education cannot be achieved under such situations. Therefore, the paper noted the implications to national development as; poverty, low standard of living, increase social menace, unemployment et cetera. Suggestions were made to include; government should ensure that; adequate fund is provided for the implementation of educational policies, ensure appropriate auditing to minimize fund embezzlement and facilitate accountability and transparency, provide infrastructural facilities and other human and material resources; school administrators should improve on funding options to raise funds that could supplement the scarce resources available among others.