Student unrest has been a recurrent phenomenon in Nigerian higher education in the past two decades. The severity of administrative reaction to this phenomenon, has become a national concern and a source of fear to many parents. At least 10 major incidents of student unrest have taken place across the university campuses in the past 10 years. In each case, police and military involvement resulted from administrative reaction in which many lives have been lost and university properties destroyed.
The purpose of this study is to investigate student services and their association with student unrest in Nigerian university campuses. The second objective is to attempt to provide a plausible explanation of contemporary student unrest.
The research question underlying this study asks the following: Why are administrative practices not bringing about calm campuses and satisfied student bodies? Are administrative practices partially responsible for student unrest?
The methodology used in this study is a multidimensional triangulation; that is, several methods have been used to gather information. These consist of in-depth interviews with the students, student leaders, along with observation and examination of the university through student handbooks and records. By implication, this study is also a case study because one out of the 30 universities in Nigeria was investigated. Using this approach provides opportunities to explore the full spectrum of student services in one location. The study assumes that the sampled population is typical of the whole.
The interview questions utilized in this study are a modification of the student personnel services listed in The Student Personnel Point of View compiled by the American Council on Education (ACE), and the evaluation report form by Wrenn and Kamm (1951).
The analysis of data is descriptive. Using the interview results, the study explains students' perceptions of student personnel services. The study also reveals that some essential services are not provided and that existing basic services are inadequate when compared to the standards in other developing countries and those set by the ACE. The study establishes a relationship between student personnel services and student unrest and recommends specific strategies for developing an adequate student personnel program.
