ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF POLICIES IN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS IN ONDO WEST LOCAL GOVERNMENT: CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS

Abstract

The implementation of policies, rules, regulations, and ethical guidelines in tertiary institutions is a complex administrative task, often met with resistance from stakeholders who perceive such enforcement as rigid or anti-people. This study explores these challenges using a qualitative research approach, incorporating semi-structured interviews and document analysis to examine policy implementation at Adeyemi Federal University of Education, Ondo (AFUED), University of Medical Sciences, Ondo (UNIMED), and Wesley University, Ondo (WUO). A total of 30 administrative respondents were purposively chosen across the three institutions, representing various levels of leadership and administrative designations. The demographic spread of respondents allowed for a rich comparative analysis across federal, specialized, and private University contexts. The findings reveal that funding constraints, bureaucratic inefficiencies, stakeholder resistance, technological limitations, and capacity gaps are significant impediments to effective policy implementation. The study also found that perspectives on policy enforcement varied across age groups and roles, with senior staff highlighting issues of autonomy and systemic interference, while junior staff focused on the lack of digital tools and training. The study recommends enhanced stakeholder participation, targeted capacity-building interventions based on staff roles and age profiles, digital transformation, and promotion of institutional autonomy. By adopting a context-specific, inclusive, and adaptive approach, tertiary institutions in Nigeria can overcome implementation barriers and strengthen policy governance.