4 -  Bureaucracy and the Negation of Collegiality in Nigeria’s Nascent Federal Universities: Insights from a Typical Instance

Albert Chukwuma Okoli

doi:10.57054/jhea.v21i1.6230

Issue

Vol. 21 No. 1 (2023): Journal of Higher Education in Africa

Issue Published : May 4, 2026

4 - Bureaucracy and the Negation of Collegiality in Nigeria’s Nascent Federal Universities: Insights from a Typical Instance

https://doi.org/10.57054/jhea.v21i1.6230

Albert Chukwuma Okoli

Senior Lecturer, Department of Political Science, Federal University of Lafia, Nigeria

Journal of Higher Education in Africa, Vol. 21 No. 1 (2023): Journal of Higher Education in Africa
Article Published : May 4, 2026

Abstract

This article examines the erosion of collegiality in Nigeria’s nascent federal universities against the backdrop of the rising bureaucratic tendencies in such institutions. From the standpoint of a vintage case of one of such universities, the article observes that there has been a sustained systematic subversion of the collegial ethos through gradual bureaucratic centralism and excess. Using a qualitative analysis that relied on a synthesis of primary and secondary data, the article highlights aspects of these bureaucratic tendencies and underscores their implications for internal institutional autonomy and academic freedom. It posits that the trend is tantamount to the emasculation and usurpation of the faculty and, in effect, negates the culture of collegiality and academic sovereignty. To reverse this trend, the article makes a case for institutional reform aimed at devolving university governance strategically in a manner that restores the functional autonomy of the faculty alongside the academic sovereignty of its academia.

Keywords

Academic freedom bureaucracy bureaucratic centralism collegiality/collegialism institutional autonomy university governance

Albert Chukwuma Okoli. (2026). 4 - Bureaucracy and the Negation of Collegiality in Nigeria’s Nascent Federal Universities: Insights from a Typical Instance. Journal of Higher Education in Africa, 21(1). https://doi.org/10.57054/jhea.v21i1.6230

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References

Abdullaheem, I., and Muhammed, A., 2014, Corporate Governance in Nigerian Higher Education: Issues and Challenges, European Journal of Business and Management, Vol. 6, No. 2, pp. 221–228.
Arikewuyo, M. O., 2013, The Challenge of Academic Freedom in the Nigerian Uni-versity System, Makerere Journal of Higher Education, Vol. 4, No. 2, pp. 247–259.
Aspromourgos, T., 2012, The Managerialist University: An Economic Interpretation, Australian Journal of Universities Review, Vol. 54, No. 2, pp. 44–49.
Babalola, A. A., 2014, University Autonomy, and Good Governance, Text of a lec-ture delivered at the 2014 Conference of the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, Shehu Musa Yar’adua Center, Abuja, 10-11 June.
Baldridge, J. V., 1971, Models of University Governance: Bureaucratic, Collegial and Political, Research and Development Memorandum, Vol. 77, Stanford University.
Bricks, N., 2013, An Overview of University Education and Administration in Nigeria, Lecture delivered to members of the Governing Council of Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt, 23 January 2013.
Deem, R., 1998, ‘New Managerialism’ and Higher Education: The Management of Performances and Cultures in Universities in the United Kingdom, Interna-tional Studies in Sociology of Education, Vol. 8, No. 1, pp. 47–70 (https://doi.org/10.1080/0962021980020014).
Ekundayo, E. T., and Adedokun, M. O., 2009, The Unresolved Issue of University Autonomy and Academic Freedom in Nigerian Universities, Humanity and Social Sciences, Vol. 4, No. 1, pp. 61–76.
Engwall, L., 2007, The Universities, the State and the Market. Changing Patterns of University Governance, Higher Education and Policy, Vol. 19, pp. 87–104.
Ernst, B., 2009, The Erosion of the Tenure System and Academic Collective Bargain-ing in the Academy: An AAUP Perspective, Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy, Vol. 1, No. 0, pp. 17–35 (http://thekeep.eiu.edu/jeba/vol0/iss4/17).
Harvey, L., 2016, The New Collegialism: Improvement with Accountability, Article originally presented at the 16th Annual EAIR Forum, Amsterdam, 21–24 August.
Jonathan, R., 2006, Academic Freedom, Institutional Autonomy and Public Accountabil-ity in Higher Education: A Framework for Analysis of the ‘State-sector’ Relationship, Pretoria: The Council for Higher Education.
Jowi, J. O., 2018, Deans in Kenyan Universities: Their Leadership Styles and Impacts on Staff Commitment, PhD. Thesis, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands (https://doi.org/10.3990/1.9789036545570).
Leslie-Hughes, D. H. H., 2013, English Universities: Managerial Movement from Academic Collegial Administration to Corporate Managerialism, MA. Disser-tation, Hertfordshire Business School, University of Hertfordshire.
Lesniaski, D., MacPherson, K. H., Fister, B., and McKinzie, S., 2001, Collegial Leadership in Academic Libraries, Proceedings of the Tenth National Conference of the Association of College and Research Libraries, pp. 233–239 (https://www.ala.org/acrl/sites/ala.org.acrl/files/content/conferences/pdf/lesniaski.pdf).
Mama, A., 2006, Towards Academic Freedom for Africa in the 21st Century, Journal of Higher Education in Africa /Revue de l’Enseignement Supérieur en Afrique, Vol. 4, No. 3, pp. 1–32.
Marini, G., and Reale, E., 2016, How does Collegiality Survive Managerially Led Universities? Evidence from a European Survey, European Journal of Higher Education, Vol. 6, No. 2, pp. 112–127.
Martin, B. R., 2016, What’s Happening to our Universities?, Prometheus: Critical Studies in Innovation, Vol. 34, No. 1, pp. 7–24.
McLean, I., and McMillan, A., 2003, Concise Oxford Dictionary of Politics, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Mignot-Gerard, S., 2003, ‘Leadership’ and ‘Governance’ in the Analysis of Univer-sity Organisations: Two Concepts in Need of Deconstruction, Higher Education Management Policy, Vol. 15, No. 1, pp. 135–164.
Mooney, D., Burns, D., and Chadwick, S., 2012, Collegial Leadership: Deepening Collaborative Processes to Advance Mission and Outcome, in A Collection of Articles on Self-study and Institutional Improvement, Chicago: High Learning Commission.
Mukoro, A. S., 2013, The Erosion of University Freedom and Autonomy: Nigerian Experience, Journal of Education and Social Research, Vol. 3, No. 6, pp. 129–137.
Murphy, M., 2008, Finding the Fault-line of Accountability: Higher Education, Bureaucracy and Academic Identity, Article presented at the British Educational Research Association’s Annual Conference, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, 3-6 September.
Nwasaka, K. O., 2014, Bureaucracy, and Decision-making in Public Universities in Uganda: A Comparative Survey, PhD thesis, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Uganda.
Nybom, T., 2008, University Autonomy: A Matter of Political Rhetoric? London, UK: Portland Press.
Ogbogu, C. O., 2013, The Role of Committees in the Decision-making Process in Nigerian Universities, International Journal of Business and Management, Vol. 8, No. 16, pp. 72–77.
Ogunbadeniyi. O. and Uhunmwuangho, S. O., 2014, Strategies for Effective Governance in Nigeria: The University of Benin in Focus, AFRREV-IJAH: An International Journal of Arts and Humanities, Vol. 3, No. 4, pp. 157–175.
Okoli, A. C., 2016, Leadership and Institution-building in Federal University Lafia, 2011-2015, FULafia Journal of Social Sciences (Maiden Edition), pp. 51–62.
Okoli, A. C., 2012, Credentialism and Bastardisation of Academic Publishing in Nigeria: A Comment, Journal of Development Studies, Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 93–98.
Okorosaye-Orubite, A. K., Paulley, G. F. and Abraham, N. M., 2012, University Autonomy, Academic Freedom and Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Struggles in Nigeria: A Historical Perspective, Asian Social Science, Vol. 8, No. 12, pp. 265–275.
Olorunsola, E.O., 2018, Erosion of Autonomy: The Pitfall of Educational Manage-ment in Nigerian Universities, International Journal of Educational Administration and Policy Studies, Vol. 10, No. 4, pp. 33–38.
Ordorika, I., 2013, The Limits of University Autonomy: Power and Politics at the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Higher Education, Vol. 46, pp. 361–388.
Osisioma, B. C., 2012, Governance in Nigerian Universities: The Position of the University Internal Auditor, Article presented at National Conference of Committee of Heads of Internal Audit Departments in Nigerian Universities, Federal University of Technology, Owerri (https://www.academia.edu/4177504/governance_in_nigerian_universities).
Pollitt, C., 2014, Managerialism redux?, Keynote Address to the 2014 EIASM Conference, Edinburgh, 24 August (https://soc.kuleuven.be/io/nieuws/mana-gerialism-redux.pdf).
Rabah, I., 2015, Introduction of the Collegial Model: Erosion of the Collegial Model, Shared Governance and Academic Tenure, Global Journal of Management and Business Research, Vol. 15, No. 2, pp. 25–36.
Russell, C., 1993, Academic Freedom, New York: Routledge.
Singh, P., 2005, Use of the Collegial Leadership Model of Emancipation to Transform Traditional Management Practices in Secondary Schools, South African Journal of Education, Vol. 25, No. 1, pp. 11–18.
Taiwo, E. A., 2011, Regulatory Bodies. Academic Freedom and Institutional Autonomy: Issues and Challenges—The Nigerian Experience, Journal of High-er Education in Africa/Revue de l’Enseignement Supérieur en Afrique, Vol. 9, No. 1–2, pp. 63–89.
Weinberg, A. M. and Graham-Smith, G., 2012, Collegiality: Can It Survive the Corporate University?, Social Dynamics, Vol. 38, No. 1, pp. 68–86.

References

Abdullaheem, I., and Muhammed, A., 2014, Corporate Governance in Nigerian Higher Education: Issues and Challenges, European Journal of Business and Management, Vol. 6, No. 2, pp. 221–228.

Arikewuyo, M. O., 2013, The Challenge of Academic Freedom in the Nigerian Uni-versity System, Makerere Journal of Higher Education, Vol. 4, No. 2, pp. 247–259.

Aspromourgos, T., 2012, The Managerialist University: An Economic Interpretation, Australian Journal of Universities Review, Vol. 54, No. 2, pp. 44–49.

Babalola, A. A., 2014, University Autonomy, and Good Governance, Text of a lec-ture delivered at the 2014 Conference of the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, Shehu Musa Yar’adua Center, Abuja, 10-11 June.

Baldridge, J. V., 1971, Models of University Governance: Bureaucratic, Collegial and Political, Research and Development Memorandum, Vol. 77, Stanford University.

Bricks, N., 2013, An Overview of University Education and Administration in Nigeria, Lecture delivered to members of the Governing Council of Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt, 23 January 2013.

Deem, R., 1998, ‘New Managerialism’ and Higher Education: The Management of Performances and Cultures in Universities in the United Kingdom, Interna-tional Studies in Sociology of Education, Vol. 8, No. 1, pp. 47–70 (https://doi.org/10.1080/0962021980020014).

Ekundayo, E. T., and Adedokun, M. O., 2009, The Unresolved Issue of University Autonomy and Academic Freedom in Nigerian Universities, Humanity and Social Sciences, Vol. 4, No. 1, pp. 61–76.

Engwall, L., 2007, The Universities, the State and the Market. Changing Patterns of University Governance, Higher Education and Policy, Vol. 19, pp. 87–104.

Ernst, B., 2009, The Erosion of the Tenure System and Academic Collective Bargain-ing in the Academy: An AAUP Perspective, Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy, Vol. 1, No. 0, pp. 17–35 (http://thekeep.eiu.edu/jeba/vol0/iss4/17).

Harvey, L., 2016, The New Collegialism: Improvement with Accountability, Article originally presented at the 16th Annual EAIR Forum, Amsterdam, 21–24 August.

Jonathan, R., 2006, Academic Freedom, Institutional Autonomy and Public Accountabil-ity in Higher Education: A Framework for Analysis of the ‘State-sector’ Relationship, Pretoria: The Council for Higher Education.

Jowi, J. O., 2018, Deans in Kenyan Universities: Their Leadership Styles and Impacts on Staff Commitment, PhD. Thesis, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands (https://doi.org/10.3990/1.9789036545570).

Leslie-Hughes, D. H. H., 2013, English Universities: Managerial Movement from Academic Collegial Administration to Corporate Managerialism, MA. Disser-tation, Hertfordshire Business School, University of Hertfordshire.

Lesniaski, D., MacPherson, K. H., Fister, B., and McKinzie, S., 2001, Collegial Leadership in Academic Libraries, Proceedings of the Tenth National Conference of the Association of College and Research Libraries, pp. 233–239 (https://www.ala.org/acrl/sites/ala.org.acrl/files/content/conferences/pdf/lesniaski.pdf).

Mama, A., 2006, Towards Academic Freedom for Africa in the 21st Century, Journal of Higher Education in Africa /Revue de l’Enseignement Supérieur en Afrique, Vol. 4, No. 3, pp. 1–32.

Marini, G., and Reale, E., 2016, How does Collegiality Survive Managerially Led Universities? Evidence from a European Survey, European Journal of Higher Education, Vol. 6, No. 2, pp. 112–127.

Martin, B. R., 2016, What’s Happening to our Universities?, Prometheus: Critical Studies in Innovation, Vol. 34, No. 1, pp. 7–24.

McLean, I., and McMillan, A., 2003, Concise Oxford Dictionary of Politics, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Mignot-Gerard, S., 2003, ‘Leadership’ and ‘Governance’ in the Analysis of Univer-sity Organisations: Two Concepts in Need of Deconstruction, Higher Education Management Policy, Vol. 15, No. 1, pp. 135–164.

Mooney, D., Burns, D., and Chadwick, S., 2012, Collegial Leadership: Deepening Collaborative Processes to Advance Mission and Outcome, in A Collection of Articles on Self-study and Institutional Improvement, Chicago: High Learning Commission.

Mukoro, A. S., 2013, The Erosion of University Freedom and Autonomy: Nigerian Experience, Journal of Education and Social Research, Vol. 3, No. 6, pp. 129–137.

Murphy, M., 2008, Finding the Fault-line of Accountability: Higher Education, Bureaucracy and Academic Identity, Article presented at the British Educational Research Association’s Annual Conference, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, 3-6 September.

Nwasaka, K. O., 2014, Bureaucracy, and Decision-making in Public Universities in Uganda: A Comparative Survey, PhD thesis, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Uganda.

Nybom, T., 2008, University Autonomy: A Matter of Political Rhetoric? London, UK: Portland Press.

Ogbogu, C. O., 2013, The Role of Committees in the Decision-making Process in Nigerian Universities, International Journal of Business and Management, Vol. 8, No. 16, pp. 72–77.

Ogunbadeniyi. O. and Uhunmwuangho, S. O., 2014, Strategies for Effective Governance in Nigeria: The University of Benin in Focus, AFRREV-IJAH: An International Journal of Arts and Humanities, Vol. 3, No. 4, pp. 157–175.

Okoli, A. C., 2016, Leadership and Institution-building in Federal University Lafia, 2011-2015, FULafia Journal of Social Sciences (Maiden Edition), pp. 51–62.

Okoli, A. C., 2012, Credentialism and Bastardisation of Academic Publishing in Nigeria: A Comment, Journal of Development Studies, Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 93–98.

Okorosaye-Orubite, A. K., Paulley, G. F. and Abraham, N. M., 2012, University Autonomy, Academic Freedom and Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Struggles in Nigeria: A Historical Perspective, Asian Social Science, Vol. 8, No. 12, pp. 265–275.

Olorunsola, E.O., 2018, Erosion of Autonomy: The Pitfall of Educational Manage-ment in Nigerian Universities, International Journal of Educational Administration and Policy Studies, Vol. 10, No. 4, pp. 33–38.

Ordorika, I., 2013, The Limits of University Autonomy: Power and Politics at the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Higher Education, Vol. 46, pp. 361–388.

Osisioma, B. C., 2012, Governance in Nigerian Universities: The Position of the University Internal Auditor, Article presented at National Conference of Committee of Heads of Internal Audit Departments in Nigerian Universities, Federal University of Technology, Owerri (https://www.academia.edu/4177504/governance_in_nigerian_universities).

Pollitt, C., 2014, Managerialism redux?, Keynote Address to the 2014 EIASM Conference, Edinburgh, 24 August (https://soc.kuleuven.be/io/nieuws/mana-gerialism-redux.pdf).

Rabah, I., 2015, Introduction of the Collegial Model: Erosion of the Collegial Model, Shared Governance and Academic Tenure, Global Journal of Management and Business Research, Vol. 15, No. 2, pp. 25–36.

Russell, C., 1993, Academic Freedom, New York: Routledge.

Singh, P., 2005, Use of the Collegial Leadership Model of Emancipation to Transform Traditional Management Practices in Secondary Schools, South African Journal of Education, Vol. 25, No. 1, pp. 11–18.

Taiwo, E. A., 2011, Regulatory Bodies. Academic Freedom and Institutional Autonomy: Issues and Challenges—The Nigerian Experience, Journal of High-er Education in Africa/Revue de l’Enseignement Supérieur en Afrique, Vol. 9, No. 1–2, pp. 63–89.

Weinberg, A. M. and Graham-Smith, G., 2012, Collegiality: Can It Survive the Corporate University?, Social Dynamics, Vol. 38, No. 1, pp. 68–86.