Changing patterns of privatization: A comparative study of university and industrial Sub - Sectors of Nigeria’s economy

Abstract

This paper analyzed the emerging trend of privatization in Nigeria, comparing the emergent realities between two sub-sectors education and industry. Between 1985 and 1998, the wave of de-nationalization of public companies, utilities and boards did not flutter the university sector. However, from 1999 to date, university education had been opened up for private participation in educational delivery with private operators founding, funding, and operating universities in such a way that had not been witnessed before. Thus the monopoly of government as the sole provider of educational services at the tertiary level has been checked. The study which deployed a descriptive analysis relying heavily on secondary sources of data, examined the new patterns of privatizing in the educational sub-sector that is not in keeping with the government’s privatization model. The study argues that this radical departure from tradition was due to the failure of the government to govern for good reasons, and that privatization is bound to precipitate new and complex social problems to the university system in particular and the entire society in general.