Governance of diversities and indigenization policy in Nigerian educational system: Its implications on national development

The diverse nature of Nigeria is expected to be respected and channeled towards the national integration and development. And one of the essential tools to achieve it is education. Education is not only creates an opportunity for members of a society to refrain from engaging in act that will constitute a threat to its stability but also enhance their capacity to contribute to the national development. Education has the potential to inculcate youths with the ethos of a culture of peace, dedication and skills needed for national development. It is on this note that this study examines the perceptions of Nigerian students on the impact of the indigene policy on leadership aspirations, attitudes toward national unity, and views on fairness and equality in leadership. To achieve the objective of the study, primary source of data was employed. 200 respondents were sampled from 2 higher institutions were selected from Jigawa and Kwara States for the study. And simple percentage was used to analysis data collected. Based on data collected, the analysis reveals that a significant majority believe the policy is likely or very likely to influence their leadership aspirations and perceptions of national unity. Also, 87.5% of respondents view the indigene policy as negatively impacting their role as future leaders, perceiving leadership as more exclusive and regionally biased. The study concludes that while the indigene policy aims to promote local representation, it may inadvertently perpetuate further divisions which may affecting students' national outlook and aspirations. This analysis underscores the need for policy reforms that foster inclusive leadership and national unity while supporting local representation equitably in Nigeria’s educational system.