Over the years the decline in standard of public universities as regards learning, welfare of students, lecturers and non-academic staff has shattered the academic system in Nigeria, it is nothing to write home about hence we witness total breakdown in every area of our public institutions hence we see the rise of Private Universities offering a better option to the number of persons who can afford it's fees.

Public universities are run by the government with tax payers for affordable and quality education but in this country the case is the different. Hence we are witness a decaying system that is rotten to the core oozing bad stench and gasping for breath. It is so bad that even some state universities have become unaffordable because of increase in school fees. Strike action are medications public universities can't survive without and in turn the brunt of it all falls on the student.

Causes of Decadence in Public Universities

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i. Corruption: Public Universities are in a very bad state because of corruption which is evidential in the misuse and mismanagement of funds. The administrative bodies in these universities have failed to use public funds allocated by the government to maintain the institution in their care. Infrastructures are left uncompleted, existing ones are not managed properly or renovated to meet modern standards. Broken walls, rotten paints, ghost buildings, poorly equipped lecture halls, Prison Yard looking hostels are characteristics of these institutions. How can one be well educated in these poor conditions and that's why we produce half baked graduates.

ii. Unpaid Salaries: This has been the primary for subsequent strike actions, the government's inability to pay her workers for the services they render. It is quite alarming that in a country like Nigeria we underrate the importance of teachers and lecturers in nation building. Most of what we know and learn are as a result of what we are taught in schools. These lecturers should be valued and we'll paid not just for teaching but also in carrying out research and collaborating with other institutions within and outside the nation. When salaries are withheld the incentive to work is reduced and these lecturers seek dubious ways to earn. Hence the issue of Sex for grades and extortion becomes the order of the day. Who gets affected the most the students who are majorly young adults,the supposed futures of tomorrow.

iii. Poor Infrastructures: Most Public Universities are characterized by abandoned and decaying infrastructure, lecture halls and laboratories are poorly equipped. This hampers learning because some of these lecture classes can't accommodate a lot of students and students have to squeeze them self in such an uncomfortable space or position. The hostels are like mad houses, dirty, disgusting and poorly managed, time and time again we have heard incident of students who die as a result of the haradious nature of the hostels. Projects are abandoned for years and the money poured into it wasted.

iv. Poor Leadership: The administrative or governing body of the Universities is an issue of concern, yes it is a fact that these universities are under the control of the Federal Government but the Federal Government can't be everywhere so administrators are appointed or elected to take charge and manage these institutions. Now the government allocate funds to the schools which is overseen by the these administrative bodies to ensure they are used in the proper management of the school. Sadly these funds are misused or embezzled, departments are left in shambles, the welfare of the students overlooked.

The Negative Impact of this decadence

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For every action there must be consequences and we are seeing the far reaching effects of Decadence in our academic institutions in Nigeria. This decay have made a lot of people lose trust in our public academic institutions, how can one receive quality education in such environment, this why our certificate are not valued outside the country, we are what is called half baked graduates.

When a system is as terrible as ours, there are lot of loopholes, for example the unpaid salaries of lecturers encourages bribery from students, it also encourages extortion or sex for grades. When a student resists the lecturer fails them and keeps them back in school, this have made a lot of folks drop out of school or give into this heinous act. However it doesn't end there because some of these students may also become lecturers and it is just an endless cycle of the abused becoming the abuser.

Due to the the hazardious nature of hostels, some students have lost their life's due to electrocution or infection from unhygienic toilets. The poor condition of hostels are one of the major reasons most students tend to live off campus and outside the campus wall you are responsible for your own safety.

Conclusion

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To improve our condition we need change, we need innovation and we need them now, education is what makes a nation great, it is through education powerful men and women are groomed and raised to take on challenges facing the nation. Our institutions need saving because it is nothing to write home about and if we keep heading in this direction it will all implode and this is not good for any nation especially a volatile one like Nigeria.