Tertiary Education and Human Capital Development: Implication on the National Development

Abstract

This study examines tertiary education and human capital development: its implication on the national development. A commendable tertiary education will bring about rare, valuable and unsubstitutable human capital which will apparently move the economy forward. Having a dwindling growth implies that sustainable development cannot take place if the human capital
(skilled person) required to bring about progressive change in the nation is not available. The study employed the ex post facto survey research design. The sample size used in the study was 200 academic staff of Lagos State University selected randomly from four faculties. The hypotheses and data collected were analyzed using the Person product moment correlation coefficient. Two hypotheses were tested and the results showed that tertiary education has a positive and significant relationship with national development and that tertiary education has a positive, strong and significant relationship with human capital development. It concluded by advancing that Nigerian government most especially Lagos State government must bridge the
gap that exists between crises saturated university system and the students’ who will become the economy developers. Also, it is pertinent for Lagos state government and Nigerian government at large to focus on how to develop and utilize maximally the capacities and capabilities of its valuable assets which are its human resource. Tertiary education must be adequately funded and equipped with the modern learning technologies so the students’ can compete in this globalizing world and government needs to take drastic measures to reduce the level of brain-drain in the country.