Strategic Planning Procedure: An Imperative for Effective Management of Higher Education in Nigeria

Abstract

Research reports and observations have indicated the absence of quality planning in the management of
higher education in Africa. This appears to be one of the major constraints to the effective management of
higher education in majority of the institutions all over Africa. The paper examined “strategic planning
procedure as an imperative for effective management of higher education in Nigeria”. Two hundred
respondents (i.e. 100 lecturers, and 100 administrative officers) from five Federal Universities from south
east geo-political zone of Nigeria were sampled and used for the study. Four research questions guided the
study. Four point Likert-type rating scale with 21 – item researchers’ self-made questionnaire was used for
data collection. Mean computation was used to analyzed the research questions. Pearson Product Moment
was used to establish the reliability of the instrument. Findings include: low level achievement of higher
education goals, identification of seven-item elements of effective management, identification 8-item
components of strategic planning procedure and its low level application in higher institutions in Nigeria.