Policy implementation in Nigerian higher education: implications for effective management

A policy is an overall guide that gives the general limits and direction in which administrative action will take place. It brings about a meaningful relationship between business objectives and organizational functions as it discourages deviations from planned courses of action.. This paper analyses the different approaches adopted in the management of policy implementation in Nigerian tertiary institutions. There is a major focus on the different stages between policy formulation, analysis, implementation and evaluation. The paper also looks at the critical factors affecting effective policy implementation and concludes that the politicization of educational policy formulation in Nigeria has adversely affected the quality of tertiary education in all ramifications. It’s recommended, among others, that professionals in the field of education should be fully involved in educational policy formulation and implementation for global acceptability.