DOI: 10.36347/sjahss.2016.v04i05.014

Pages: 563-569

This study investigated quality enhancement in Nigerian Universities and students’ skills acquisition from University education which is needed for socio-economic development. One research question was posed and two null hypotheses formulated to guide the study. Using stratified random sampling technique, four hundred (400) final year Universal Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) students were selected as sample of the study. This was drawn from population of four thousand, one hundred and sixty-five final year UTME students in University of Calabar, and Cross River State University of science and technology. Data was collected using a 20-item research questionnaire titled “Quality Enhancement and Skill Acquisition Questionnaire” (QESAQ). Data obtained were analyzed using Mean, One-way Analysis of Variance and One Sample t-test. Results obtained revealed that provision of school infrastructure significantly influence students’ skill acquisition. It was also discovered that provision of adequate learning materials influence students skill acquisition that will enhance them to be creative, capable to innovate, possess employability skills, problem solving skills, good communication skills, become successful entrepreneurs, maintain high moral standard, etc. and effect the society positively. This will serve to ameliorate the degree of youth restiveness, social vices and other evil acts brought about by unemployment, which is as a result of poor quality outputs from educational system. It was concluded that enhancing quality University education in Nigeria is pertinent to emergence of ideal Nigerian society and great economy. Based on the results and findings from the study, it was recommended that; education should be well funded to enhance meeting up with the required standard of University education that will yield quality outputs for the development of economy and maintenance of social order in Nigeria.