African Quality Rating Mechanisms: A Key to Achieving the Nigerian Roadmap for the Tertiary Institutions

This paper discusses how the African Quality Rating Mechanisms could be used to achieve the Nigerian roadmap for tertiary institutions. Roadmap for the Nigerian Education Sector is the latest reform in the Nigerian education system. This reform covers four major areas which include (a) access and equity, (b) standard and quality assurance, (c) technical and vocational education and training, and (d) funding and resource utilization. The Federal Republic of Nigeria embarked on this reform with a view to revitalizing the nations education system which is at the verge of collapse. The focus of this paper is on the tertiary institution. The four areas of the reform as they affect tertiary institutions in the country were covered. It examined the current state of tertiary institutions in Nigeria. The paper also examined key factors responsible for the failures of past reforms to reposition the nations education system at a comparative advantage. In the light of the above, the paper recommends the African Quality Rating Mechanism as a tool for achieving the Nigerian roadmap for tertiary institutions. The African Quality Rating Mechanism takes institutional diversity into account and builds in opportunity for institutional self-evaluation and reflection without institutional comparison.