DEVELOPING THE TOTAL PERSON THROUGH HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE 21ST CENTURY: THE ROLE OF NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES

Abstract

Locally, nationally and internationally, Universities are seen as centres of academic excellence that
pre-occupy themselves with teaching, research and service to their communities. Through their
teachings, researches and community service efforts, universities should be able to produce
individuals who can contribute to societal development. Much more than what it used to be,
societies have gone beyond complexities. In Nigeria, it appears that her nationals have to grapple
with problems of various dimensions with serious personal and national life threatening
implications. Based on these, universities need to take a second look at their curricula, so that
their teachings, researches and community service efforts would provide answers to current
problems of the Nigerian society. This paper presents information on what Nigerian Universities
should teach to produce the total persons who can contribute to the development of the nation.