UNIVERSITY AUTONOMY AND ADMINISTRATION OF PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES IN NORTH CENTRAL, NIGERIA

This study examined university autonomy and the administration of public universities in North-Central Nigeria. The objectives of this study were to determine the influence of staffing and academic autonomy on the administration of public universities in North-Central Nigeria. Formulating two research questions aligned with the study's specific objectives. At the 0.05 level of significance, we formulated and tested two hypotheses. The study adopted a survey research design. The population of the study was 25,353, which comprised academic and non-academic staff from public universities in North-Central Nigeria. The study had a sample size of 394, which was determined by applying Taro Yamane’s formula. The study utilized proportionate sampling as the sampling technique. A self-structured questionnaire titled ‘Influence of University Autonomy on the Administration of Public Universities Questionnaire’ (IUAAPUQ) was used as an instrument for data collection. Using the Cronbach Alpha coefficient, we established the reliability of the instrument and obtained a reliability coefficient of 0.79. To answer the research questions, the data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics of mean and standard deviation, while chi-square of goodness of fit was used to test the null hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed that staffing and academic autonomy have a significant influence on the administration of public universities in North-Central Nigeria. Based on the findings, it was recommended, among others, that; efforts be made to reduce unnecessary government interference in the internal affairs of universities. This includes allowing universities more autonomy in decision-making processes related to academic, and staffing matters.