Managing Higher Education for Innovative Research and Sustainable Manpower Development in a fast changing World

Abstract

The importance of higher education to sustainable national development cannot be overemphasized. In Nigeria, tertiary education is planned and organized among others to; contribute 
to national development through high level manpower training and to provide accessible and 
affordable quality learning opportunities in formal and informal education. However, it has 
been observed that achievement of these goals in Nigeria is becoming increasingly difficult in 
the face of the current ICT and technologically driven global economy. This paper explored 
the relationship among higher education, innovative research and sustainable manpower 
development in Nigeria. The paper equally examined the myriads of problems militating 
against innovative research and sustainable manpower (in the nation’s tertiary institutions) and 
make suggestions on strategies that could be adopted to ameliorate the problems. The paper 
concluded that the provision of quality manpower resources is crucial and strategic for all round development of the nation and that higher education plays a prominent role in this 
regard. Hence, innovative research which is the fulcrum of today’s knowledge economy should 
be encouraged in the higher institutions of learning. This can be achieved by providing 
adequate fund, integrating digital technology, skill acquisition and computer literacy into the 
curriculum among others, and ensuring high standards in the quality of facilities and resources 
supplied to the higher institutions.