MANAGEMENT OF HIGHER INSTITUTION IN THE 21 ST CENTURY

The study was to examine management of higher institution in the 21 st century. The study was anchor on the following sub-headings: Higher Education in Nigeria, Administration: Roadmap to Total Quality Management in Universities in Nigeria, Management Styles, Factors mitigating against higher education leadership, Management in Nigerian Polytechnics, Polytechnic/Technical Education – A Panacea to Human Resource Development, Major Challenges and Constrains to Polytechnic/Technical Education in Nigeria, and Management of the Nigerian Colleges of Education was consider in the study. From the qualitative exploration of the study, it was recommended among others that: Federal and State Governments should provide adequate funds that will promote effective management of the higher institutions for sustainability of a better today and tomorrow in Nigeria.


INTRODUCTION
The aim of the management education programme is to prepare students for entry and advancement in management occupations or in occupations requiring competency in one or more of the management functions.In addition to the already existing educational curricula of various management sciences of the tertiary institutions, curriculum planners in management education should earmark academic programme that will touch the lives of individuals who require management education to improve their skills, engender high standard of living and consequent economic development.
Nigerian Tertiary Institutions must re-assess their role not in terms of metropolitan countries but in terms of their own society.In the metropolitan Western World Institutions of higher learning are instruments of conservation (care and management of the environment) and an instrument of liberalization.The main problem with Nigerian higher institutions is that they are neither training and recruiting for an existing leadership, nor conserving or liberalizing the existing social order.Nigerian higher institutions are caught between the old and the emerging social and economic systems.The answer does not lie in making themselves poor seconds to metropolitan institutions, but in evolving a system that is uniquely suited to their environment.The higher educational sector should be more involved in government planning and government officials must be equally involved in educational planning, tape from the knowledge and experience of Nigeria professors obsessed with Nigerian environment.This can be achieved by the establishment of a permanent Joint Advisory Committee, whose main function would be to advise both government and various higher institutions on how best to harmonize programmes and maximize the effective use of manpower.The curriculum of higher institutions vice-a-vice marketing education in Nigeria need drastic review and must be Nigeria bias and directed towards nation building.

HIGHER EDUCATION IN NIGERIA
Nigeria as a country is naturally endowed with large population, the vast population require skilled manpower to run the economic need of the country's people, and these skills needed can only be trained by the higher education system of the country, especially the university system (Dauda, 2010;Knowles, Swanson, & Holton III, 2011;Pathik et al., 2012).Therefore, the university systems and higher education systems responsible for providing the manpower need of the country have to have sufficient HR at its disposal in order to be able to meet the HR requirement of the nation in general.This is calls for proper administration and management of university systems and higher education system in realization of the importance of the administration and management in higher education system in Nigeria (Modebelu & Joseph, 2012).Higher education in Nigeria implies the kind of education offered subsequent to secondary education in dedicated institutions such as universities, colleges of education, polytechnics, monotechnics and other allied and specialized institutions (Halstead, 1974;Modebelu & Joseph, 2012).According to Modebelu and Joseph (2012), they further described higher education in terms of the goals it seek to attain and the function of it in national development.They stated categorically that: "higher education contribute to manpower training, local capacity development, intellectual development, advancement of scholarship and community development and promotion of interaction between national and international understanding'' (Modebelu & Joseph, 2012).From the forgoing, higher education is the kind of education responsible for professional and skilled development of the population for the purpose of growth and development.Higher education in Nigeria and like any other country is mainly intended for the development of technocrat and the high-manpower that will be responsible for the operations of the wheels and machines of the economy.The wheels of economy of a country refers the production, agriculture, manufacturing, health and service sectors, these are sectors responsible for the continuous advancement of the country and these sectors are people driven.They are sectors that work in rotations with one another to make a possible country hood.The various sectors are operated and driven by people (Castells, 2010).These people are the human resource of country and they are to be trained and developed by the higher education system of the country; and in the long run a significant percentage of these people trained will have to return back to higher education system as human resource inputs for the system (Clancy & Goastellec, 2007;Pathik et al., 2012).On this note, the importance of higher education in a country such as a Nigeria cannot be overemphasized in the light of its vital importance in Human Resource Development (Dauda, 2010;Ekundayo & Ajayi, 2009;Oyewole, 2009).

ADMINISTRATION: ROADMAP TO TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT IN UNIVERSITIES IN NIGERIA
The general body responsible for universities and degree awarding institutions in Nigeria is National Universities Commission (NUC).NUC is a regulatory body and standard setting body for the universities and degree awarding institutions in Nigeria (Okebukola, 2002).Statutorily NUC is formed as a body enabled by the government laws to develop framework and benchmark of quality in process and service; that is in terms of the performance of human resource input in Nigerian universities and degree awarding institutions (Saint, Hartnett, & Strassner, 2003).The role of NUC in Human Resource Development and Situation in Nigerian universities cannot be over emphasized; as NUC attempts to move university education in Nigeria to international standard on continuous basis, through several strategy such as; standard and benchmark setting, regulatory frameworks and accreditations.In this light NUC can be liken to a quality standard body in Total Quality Management Parlance (Akerele, 2012.; Okechukwu & Okechukwu, 2011).This kind of body is necessary for the purpose continuous quality improvement in operations and services such, International Standard Organization (ISO).In the world of learning today, Universities are mandated by the dynamism of change towards providing cutting edge knowledge in Research and Development (R&D) so that graduates can compete globally.On this note, a body such as NUC in Nigerian university is needed to focus more on pushing for quality assurance in Human Capital Development at both input level and output level of Nigerian universities (Saint et al., 2003).However, NUC have over the years established a formidable landmark in the university systems in Nigeria, in terms of human capital development through its regulatory framework on the promotions of lecturers in Nigerian universities (Adekola, 2012).In recent years, the push of NUC regulatory frameworks on the promotion of teaching staffs in the university, have seen a good number of increase in the number of staff holding PhD academic qualifications.The NUC regulatory framework on promotion of university academic staff, serves as a push factor, a positive motivation, for the continuous quality improvement, professional and career development of universities lecturers in Nigeria.The implication and summary of these continuous quality improvements, professional and career development, is Human Resource Development of the university academic staff members; and ultimately the effect of human resource development of the academic staff members will transfer to the 'turn outs' from the university systems, the graduates who are going to be manpower thresholds of the national economy (Adedokun-Shittu, Sheikh Ahmad, Othman, Ahmad, & Badariah, 2012;Agarwal, 2009;Kaul, 2010;Pathik et al., 2012;Samoff & Carrol, 2003).

THE REGULATORY ROLES OF THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITIES COMMISSION
The goals of the National Universities Commission (NUC) are: -Attainment of stable and crisis free university system -To work with Nigerian Universities to achieve full accreditation status for at least 80% of the academic programmes.
-To initiate and promote proficiency in the use of ICT for service delivery within the Commission and the Nigerian University.
-To match university graduate output with manpower needs and to foster partnership between the Nigerian University system and the private sector (NUC, 2008).
With the Constitution of the NUC through Degree No 1 of 1974, according to Okojie (2012), the role of NUC shifted from mere ensuring orderly development of University education to an agency which dictates what to teach and the number of students to be admitted into the universities.It advices the Federal government on the financial needs of the universities, channels all external aids to the Universities, receives, allocates Federal Government grants to Federal Universities, lays down minimum academic standards and ensures that quality is maintained in the academic programmes of the universities and carries out the accreditation of the degrees and other academic awards of the universities (Okojie et al., 2010).In 2005, the Commission introduced new academic curricula for all Nigerian Universities.The aim was to provide a better skilled and entrepreneurial graduates suitable for not only Nigerian labour market but for the global market.The new curricula is aimed at eradicating the outdated curricula and replaced it with the modern ones that are relevant to the needs of the country.The NUC made available material resources to improve communication system.The Commission installed E-mail facilities in some campuses in Federal Universities in the country (NUC Annual Report, 1994).For better data collection and analysis, the commission introduced the computer based Management Information system (MIS) into Nigerian University system The Commission (NUC) in 2013/2014 established the carrying capacity of every programme to be offered in Nigerian Universities.Carrying capability is the minimum number of students that the human and material resources available in the university can support for quality delivery of education.The NUC had been responsible for granting of licences for the establishment of private Universities in Nigeria as at 2000.There were about 129 universities in the country made of public and private universities, while more are yet to be established.This is with the aim of giving access to the training population of youth seeking admission to the Universities.The NUC had also made possible introduction of E-Learning technology in Nigeria Universities.The main aims of E-Learning technology are to improve the quality of learning, to provide learners with skill needed for their professional development, to widen access to education and to reduce cost and improve cost effectiveness of education.The Commission had also strengthened the National Open University by way of human and material resources to enable it enroll many students as projected in its blueprint.

MANAGEMENT STYLES
Management style describes the behaviour a manager exhibits in the course of directing his subordinate or a group to a common goal.Okorie (2000), opines that management is the process of influencing, directing and coordinating the activities of other people in an organization.The function of organizational management is to influence the group towards the achievement of group goals by planning, organizing, directing and integrating the University demands and the needs of members in a way that will be both productive and individually fulfilling.Paterson (2005), identified three management styles; they are authoritarian, democratic and laissez-faire.

FACTORS MITIGATING AGAINST HIGHER EDUCATION LEADERSHIP
Ategwu, Okon & Aklah (2022) enumerate and explained the following factors mitigating against higher education leadership: 1. Ethnicity Over the years, the appointment of higher institution leadership in Nigeria has taken an ethnic dimension.It is no longer lies with the University, Polytechnic, Colleges of Education authority or in the hand of the ministry of Education, rather to ensure their credibility and competency, most times the council and parties involved ended up sacrificing merit and promoting mediocrity through their style of selection as a results of these factors which led to unhealthy ethnic rivalry among the candidate who are vying for the positions in the institutions.

Pernicious Prebendalism
This is a harmful political system that the elected government officials feel they have the right to government ownership of revenue; and they use them to benefit from the administration they want to install.In considering leaders of higher institution, governmental authority use this medium to choose or select their own candidate irrespective of the fact that he/she is not qualify but because of the monetary involvement and control of power, they consider their own candidate not minding the implication of what it takes.This factor drastically affects the consideration of higher education leadership because those chosen are not technocrat not minding the aspect of professionalism.

Community Involvement in Appointment
The community where the school is situated sometime affect the appointment of the leadership of higher education, this is a situation whereby the community head will always wants to participate in the appointment of the leaders of that higher institution, they wants to be consulted, they want their indigenes to be considered irrespective of the fact that their candidate is not qualified for the job.

Years of experience
Experience matters in good leadership (Brooks, 2018).However, some experiences matter more than the others.The directive identifies leadership and management experience and teaching and research experience as one of the criterion for the selection of leaders.Though it is not unique to this directive, it is not fair to assume years of experience equals doing a great job.Also, there should be a system which helps to understand the achievements of a leader in the years which he/she assumed leadership position; otherwise, even if he/ she did nothing good in those years, he/she could benefit from such criterion.Staying a number of years in leadership position alone cannot make you a good leader.

MANAGEMENT IN NIGERIAN POLYTECHNICS
The polytechnic is a post-secondary technical institution of higher learning created mainly to provide a wide range of intermediate and higher level technology and technologists.Okpeodua (2007) opines that the decision of the Federal Government to get up polytechnic education was predicated in the decision to revolutionize the society technologically.This government's decision copiously spelt out the objectives of Technical and Vocational Education (TVE) in the National Policy on Education (NPE, 2004).These objectives are (i) to provide trained manpower in applied sciences, technology, commerce and industry, and (ii) to provide technical knowledge and vocational skills necessary for agricultural, industrial, commercial and economic emancipation and development.Unfortunately, polytechnic in Nigeria have certain problems like misappropriation and misapplication of funds, poor inter-personal relationship, poor supervision and staffing, absence of team work, lack of effective control and co-ordination, poor planning, rigidity in approach to human problems, student unrest, examination malpractices, admission racketeering, strikes, downright stubbornness of some officials, etc.All these problems have NERDC posited that in order to achieve unparalleled result in this domain the main features of the curriculum activities of PTE shall be structured in foundation and trade modules and that the curriculum for each trade shall consists of four components namely; General education, theory and related courses; workshop practices, industrial training and small business management and entrepreneurial training.

MANAGEMENT OF THE NIGERIAN COLLEGES OF EDUCATION
The Nigerian colleges of education (COEs) are teacher education institutions that train teachers for the Nigerian schools.They occupy the third cadre in the ladder of tertiary educational provisions in the country.As important citadel of academic learning, they play a pivotal role in producing highly qualitative, motivated, conscientious and efficient classroom teachers for the Nigerian educational system.It is therefore a matter of concern and distress when the (COEs) are no longer meeting up to expectations especially in delivering/rendering quality and efficient services that will lead to the achievement of educational goals.Today many COEs especially those of them in Nigeria, are in deplorable state, facing so much difficulties and challenges, thereby affecting their management.This situation is against one of the goals of Nigerian COEs which states that all teachers shall be professional trained and equipped to become effective in performance of their duties.As important citadel of academic learning, they play a pivotal role in producing highly qualitative, motivated, conscientious and efficient classroom teachers for the Nigerian educational system.The Nigerian COEs are one the higher degree awarding institutions of the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) which offers technical, science and other conventional courses in special education, business, social sciences and humanities in order to meet the needs and interest of various individuals for sustainability in the society.According to the Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN, 2013), the intent of establishing the COEs was to provide educational institutions where teachers shall be professionally trained, whose programmes shall be structured to equip teachers for effective performance of their duties (FRN, 2013: 43).In this regard, the goals of COEs as teacher education institutions are to produce highly motivated, conscientious and efficient classroom teachers for all levels of the educational system; further encourage the spirit of enquiry and creativity in teachers; help teachers fit into the social life of the community and the society at large and enhance their commitment to national goals; provide teachers with the intellectual and professional background adequate for their assignment and to make them adequate adaptable to changing situations; and enhance teachers' commitment to the teaching profession.Given the above goals, demands that COEs are meant to be functional and sustainable.Functionality and sustainability of the Nigerian COEs can only be made possible through effective management of these institutions.Management as described within the context of this present study can be viewed as appropriate coordination of activities or programmes of the COEs for achievement of goals.Akpakwu (2012) described management as guiding human and physical resources into dynamic organization units which attain their objectives to the satisfaction of those who served and with a high degree of morale and sense of attainment on the part of those rendering services.Management as further described by Akpakwu is a social process designed to ensure the cooperation, participation, intervention of a given or predetermined goals or objectives.Management according to Onuka (2006) is the process of forecasting/prediction, planning, budgeting, organization, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, feedback and revision for improvement.The process involves a holistic approach to evolving sustainable programme improvement (Onuka, 2006).Management in education however is concerned with planning and formulation of educational policies and programmes.It involves planning, organizing, controlling, coordinating, leading and evaluating the human, material and time resources towards the achievement of the goals or objectives of educational institutions (Akpakwu, 2012).

CONCLUSION
Higher institution management is seen as a fundamentally optimistic human endeavour characterized by aspirations for progress and betterment of the individual, the University and larger society.It is understood by many to be a means of overcoming handicaps, achieving greater quality and equality, and acquiring wealth and social status.Hsigher institutions is perceived as a place where citizens can develop according to their unique needs and potential.It is also perceived as one of the best means of achieving greater social equality.The management and organization of dualities in higher institutions is warranted, requiring reconciliation and/or dynamic balancing in order to achieve organizational effectiveness.The goals of higher institutions in Nigeria are the development of the individual into a morally sound, patriotic and effective citizen; total integration of the individual into the immediate community, the Nigerian society and the world; provision of equal access to qualitative university opportunities for all citizens at all levels of higher institutions, within and outside the formal school system; inculcation of national consciousness, values and national unity; and the development of appropriate skills, mental, physical and social abilities and the competencies to empower individuals to live in and contribute positively to the society.

1.
There should be regular evaluation of policies and these reports should be made public to increase confidence of tertiary education stakeholders.

2.
Tertiary Management curricular should be reviewed to reflect the following: affected the quality of products produced by the polytechnics in Nigeria.Every polytechnic in Nigeria faces the challenge of improving quality of education.Some of these challenges include: (i) raising student achievement, (ii) respect for admission guidelines and quotas; (ii) improving the quality of teaching, (iv) dwindling national economy, (v) proper definition of technology education, and (vi) apathy towards technical education.Others are: (i) providing adequate resources and utilizing them effectively, (ii) providing learning experience which meet the requirements of all learners, (iii) ensuring that the curriculum and measurements methods are relevant are inclusive; (iv) enabling environment, (v) improving job performance; and (vi) ensuring that management and leadership of polytechnics in Nigeria are strong and effective.The management and leadership of various polytechnics should increase their efforts at improving quality via the above listed areas.manpower aids.Therefore, efforts to achieve the goal should be directed towards PTE, through the reform of policies, which are conscious efforts and directed toward developing the full potentials and capacities of the human resources to move along with the tide of change across the world(Okoro & Ibiam, 2015).The Polytechnic/Technical Education (PTE) according to Nigerian Education Research and Development Council (NERDC) (1998) outlined the following as the major aims of PTE education: (a) Providing trained manpower in the applied sciences and business, particularly at craft, advanced and technical levels.(b) Providing the technical knowledge and vocational skills necessary for agriculture, commercial and economic development.(c) Giving the necessary training and imparting skills to individuals who shall become self-reliant.
(a) Conditions for effective learning of management skills and behaviour must be guaranteed (b) Learning aids (material and human) (c) Operationalization of Problem Based Learning strategies and methodologies (d) The evaluation of the curriculum should be systematic and dynamic.(e) A review of the state of the arts in Nigeria management education and training.

of well-equipped libraries for research work/project: libraries
the law makers on why they should give priority to PTE in allocating resource to it.The government keeps paying lip service towards the proper development of the program in Nigeria.