An investigation into issues impeding higher education effectiveness in public universities

The effectiveness of public universities in Nigeria has continued to generate discussion and is a matter of urgent attention in achieving the mission and vision of the higher education system. This study was carried out to investigate the issues obstructing the effectiveness of public universities in Nigeria. The conceptual framework was adapted from the European Foundation for Quality Management Excellence model (EFQM). This study adopted a generic qualitative design to collect data through semi-structured interviews from eight participants, including the deputy vice-chancellor, deans, head of departments, and lecturers that were purposively selected. Data collected were analysed using thematic analysis with Nvivo (version 10). The findings of the study revealed that leadership, academic and administrative issues, contextual issues and funding are the major factors affecting the effectiveness of public universities in Nigeria. Therefore, for a university in Nigeria to be viewed as a hub of developing nations that strive to meet the expectation of the society, the identified hindrances must be thoroughly interrogated and resolved.