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Towards the Stemming of the Tide of Strikes in Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria: Stakeholders’ Roles and Responsibilities
Authors: Ige Akindele, M

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In Nigeria, tertiary education has over the years been enmeshed in crises, one of these being the incessant strikes by the staff of tertiary institutions, under the aegis of different trade unions. Without mincing words, strike is now a ritual that has to be performed in every tertiary institution in Nigeria. Many people are contending that it is the language which government understands. It is thus no longer strange to government, students, tertiary institutions’ administrators, and other stakeholders in education. A new attempt is usually termed to be business as usual. This paper examines the issue of strike, as it affects tertiary education in Nigeria. Special focus is on the causative factors in Nigeria, such as: inadequate funding of education and tertiary institutions, interference in tertiary institutions’ affairs, increase in fuel price, low wages/poor conditions of service, poverty, refusal to honour past agreement(s), introduction/implementation of obnoxious policies by Government. The paper also discussed the effects of the strike such as the delay in graduation of students, loss of jobs, lives, and confidence in tertiary education, proliferation of private tertiary institutions, particularly the universities loss of value of certificates and status of tertiary institutions, increase in crimes, delay in mobilisation of graduates of tertiary institutions for National Service, inactive economic activities, falling standard of education, conflicts among the unions and staff of tertiary institutions. To stem the tide in tertiary institutions and move tertiary education forward in this decade and beyond, an effective administration of tertiary institutions, adequate funding of education/tertiary education by government, orientation of staff of tertiary institutions, among other measures, are recommended.