Patronizing Private Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria: Does Service Quality Matter?

Abstract

Aim: To identify reasons behind the patronization of private tertiary institutions in Nigeria, their challenges, and also to examine if their patronage was as a result of service quality matter or otherwise. Study Design: This article adopt both qualitative and quantitative research strategy in which questionnaire were administered and hypothesis were tested using chi-square. Place and Duration: The case study for this research paper is AL-HIKMA University, Ilorin, Nigeria, from 7th October, 2019. Findings: It was discovered that majority of student patronizing private tertiary Institutions in Nigeria was the result of issues such as admission stress, strikes, cultism’s, congestions and irregularities characterizing public tertiary Institutions in Nigeria, etc. and not actually service quality. The major challenges encountered by private’s tertiary Institutions are lack of funds, stringent government policies, shortage of staff and infrastructural deficits etc. Implications: This has lead to production of half-baked graduate, brain drain, religious disparity, widening social gap, exorbitant fees and decline in the educational sector among others. Conclusion: In other to curb the problems associated with the above raised questions, government should allocate more fund for the establishment and rehabilitation of universities, adequate learning materials should be provided, conducive atmosphere accompanied by good remuneration and lastly issue of licensing should be strict.