The state of higher education in particular and the education sector at large, in Nigeria, continues to be a matter of concern. Stakeholders are generally agreed that there is an urgent need for an intervention to address the deteriorating situation. The problem is the country has never been short of ideas on how to right the wrongs in the higher education sector. Sadly, the state of higher education in a reflection of the state of education generally in the country.

This book, Pivotal Issues in Higher Education Development in Nigeria: Essays in Honour of Distinguished Professor Peter Okebukola, OFR, is an attempt to bring together critical new thinking on several of the issues plaguing higher education development in the country.

These include both the traditional and contemporary ones: access, equity, quality, funding, capacity, gender, curriculum innovation, relevance, role of ICT, sustainable development and others. Coming in the wake of the COVID – 19 pandemic and the disruptions foisted on the education system generally, this book naturally includes contributions that reflect on the impact of the pandemic and the way forward for higher education.

While this book has a primary focus on Nigerian higher education, several contributions reflect on issues with larger systemic and even global implications. Contributors include experienced scholars and some of the brightest individuals among the new generation of academics. They are drawn from institutions in Nigeria, other African countries and North America. They include higher education administrators and policymakers, both nationally and at the global level.

This book is a fitting tribute to Distinguished Professor Peter Akinsola Okebukola, OFR, who turns 70 in 2021 and is retiring from public service. Professor Okebukola has devoted his career to higher education development at the Nigerian and global space. A former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission and President, Global University Initiative – Africa (GUNI-Africa), Professor Okebukola, a Distinguished Professor of Science and Computer Education at the Lagos State University, has impacted several generations of scholars and academics, many ofwhom have come together to write the essays in this book. This book should keep alive the debate on the future of higher education in Nigeria and beyond and hopefully spur others who will take the debate further.