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CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       Background of the Study

Higher education also referred to as post-secondary or tertiary education is the education given after secondary education in colleges of education, monotechnics, polytechnics and universities and those institutions offering correspondence courses (Federal Ministry of Education 2004:30). Defining higher education in terms of the levels and functions of the educational experience offered, Bernett (1997) sees higher educational institutions as unique institutions which is differentiated from others in terms of research and its managers are designated as Provost, Rector, and Vice-chancellor. 

Higher education has been recognized as a fundamental instrument for the construction of a knowledge economy and the development of human capitals all over the world (World Bank, 1999). According to Peretomode (2007), higher education is the facilitator, the bed rock, the power house and the driving force for the strong socio-economic, political, cultural, healthier and industrial development of a nation as higher education institutions are key mechanisms increasingly recognized as wealth and human capital producing industries. Only human capital can sustain growth (Kors, 2008).  World Bank (2004) argued that higher education is fundamental to all developing countries if they are to prosper in a world economy where knowledge has become a vital area of advantage. The quality of knowledge which is generated in institutions of higher learning is critical to national competitiveness. It is only quality education that can sharpen the minds of the individual and help transform the society economically, socially and politically. Countries can achieve sustainable development by improving through training in higher level, the skills of their human capitals. From a global perspective, higher level manpower training has been recognized as a primary tool for national development. Such high level educational provision enables the citizens to acquire skills and techniques which are ploughed into human productivity, creativity, competence, initiative, innovation and inventiveness (Ehiametalor, 1988) 

Institutions of higher education ought to be centres of excellence which impart quality education to students. Society at large looks up to these institutions to address their needs through creating a pool of human resources with increased employability, manning institutions, solving community based problems and maintaining harmony with outer environment. This is not achieved through a mere proliferation of institutions. It is here that quality becomes important. Quality is “that intangible but omnipresent element which distinguishes a product from another or one service from another ”. Quality does not come in one go, but attained through a continuous pursuit for perfection. Higher education devoid of quality is at the cost of its meaning and purpose.

Through staff development activities staff acquire knowledge about educational issues and problems, develop and utilize new or

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