The purpose of this study was to review higher education in Nigeria from 1960-1985 with emphasis on curriculum development, to identify the changes that took place during that period, and to utilize those changes to evaluate the current state of Nigerian higher education. In order to fulfill the purpose of this study, answers were sought for six research questions.
Chapter 1 includes a statement of the problem, purpose of this study, research questions, background, and significance of the study. Chapter 2 presents information on the methods of gathering and analyzing data. Chapter 3 is a review of the background literature. Chapter 4 presents information on higher education and curriculum development 1960-1985, and Chapter 5 covers the Nigeria National Curriculum conference of 1969. The findings, conclusions, and recommendations of the study are presented in Chapter 6.
The study revealed that: (1) Education in Nigeria during the period was influenced by: (a) the British philosophy of education practices, and (b) the American professional and vocational program. (2) The Eric Ashby Commission Report of 1959 was the major impetus to higher education development in Nigeria from 1960-1985. (3) The federal and state governments play supervisory roles and provide subsidies in their budgets for higher education institutions through the National Universities Commission, the National Board for Technical Education, and the National Commission for Colleges of Education. (4) The Nigeria National Curriculum conference of 1969, conducted by the Nigerian Educational Research Council, shaped the new Nigerian philosophy and policy on education and the innovation of the present 6-3-3-4 education system. (5) Nigeria made the highest investment in education during this period due to the oil economy; 24 universities were established with 47 colleges of education and 27 tertiary polytechnical schools affiliated with these universities. Their curricula emphasize more science, technical, and vocational education than arts.
