Impact of Subsidy Removal on Lecturers Jobperformance and Students Academic Achievement in Vocational Education in Colleges of Education North-Central, Nigeria

Impact of Subsidy Removal on Lecturers Jobperformance and Students Academic Achievement in Vocational Education in Colleges of Education North-Central, Nigeria

Dr Lucy Usman Saleh., Asabe Galadima., Amina Ladi Akande., Dr Angela E. Achebe., Hannatu B. Yerima & Iliya Gajere Kaure

School of Vocational Education, Niger State College of Education, Minna

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2025.903SEDU0523

Received: 06 August 2025; Accepted: 12 August 2025; Published: 01 October 2025

ABSTRACT

The study examines the impact of subsidy removal on lecturers job-performance and students academic achievement in Vocational Education in Colleges of Education North-Central, Nigeria. Two objectives and research questions were raised and the study adopted survey research design and the study was carried out in four federal and 6 state colleges of education North-Central Nigeria using structured questionnaire titled: Impact of Subsidy-Removal on Lecturers Job Performance and Student Academic Achievement in Vocational Education (ISRLJSAAVE) as the instrument for data collection which was designed by the researcher using 5 type Likert scale with response option as Strongly Agreed (SA), Agreed (A), Disagreed (DA), Strongly Disagreed (SD) and Undecided (U). The instruments for data collection was subjected to face content and construct validation by chief lecturer form department of Vocational Education Federal College of Education Zuba and two chief lecturers from School of Vocational Education Home Economies department Niger State College of Education Minna. The total population for the study was 279 lecturers from 10 federal and states Colleges of Education offering vocational education within the North-Central Nigeria. The North Central geopolitical zone consists of 6 states Niger, Kwara, Nassarawa, Kogi, Benue, Plateau and Federal Capital Territory. The findings of the study revealed that all the school of vocational education academic lecturers  jointly agreed to all the items presented on the impact of subsidy removal on lecturers job performance in vocational education with grand mean of 3.87 and 3.72  on the impact of subsidy removal on students’ academic achievement in vocational education in colleges of education in North-Central, Nigeria. Based on the findings, the study recommended among others that effort should be made by both State and Federal government to increase funding to vocational education at the colleges of education and as well establish scholarships and financial aid to assist both the lecturers and students with require  financial  assistance,  especially  those  adversely  affected  by increased transportation, rents and living cost dues to the fuel subsidy removal and Government  should  subsidy  essentials  educational  instructional  materials  for students such as textbooks, computers, transportation fees among others, in order to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal in the country.

Keywords: Subsidy, Fuel Subsidy, lecturers job-performance, students academic achievement, Vocational Education and Colleges of Education

INTRODUCTION

Education is the best legacies a nation can give to her citizens. This is because the development of any nation or society depends on the quality of education delivered to its citizens. Aregbesola, (2023) described education as a pivotal instrument for social, political, and economic development. Education transcends academic excellence; it entails personal growth and character development which can be achieved in learning institutions especially tertiary institutions. Tertiary institutions thereby prepare students for the workforce and help them to develop critical thinking skills to become useful members of the society. Boli et al (2018) defined education as a lifelong process of improving one’s knowledge in order to ensure better job, security and future. In Nigeria; education system is divided into primary, secondary and higher or tertiary education levels. Tertiary level of education or institution is referred to as the third level. It is the educational level that students enroll in after the completion of a secondary level of education. In Nigeria, tertiary education is basically classified as either Colleges of Education, Polytechnics, Monotechnics and Universities. The Polytechnics and monotechnics according to Ani et al. (2021) are tertiary institutions of learning that issues National Diploma (ND) and Higher National Diploma (HND) certificates while Universities Issues Bachelors, Masters and Doctoral Degree certificates and Nigeria Certificate in Education issued at the Colleges of Education.

Colleges of Education is an institution of learning where learners are trained as professional teachers who can teach basic technology at the primary and junior secondary school. The teaching and learning at Colleges of Education are based on the minimum standard which is overseen by the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) which was established by the Federal Government of Nigeria. The National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) was established to determine the curriculum content that will exposed the student teachers to be considered adequate enough to enter the teaching profession with confidence in their ability to perform creditably as anticipated and ensure that the Nigerian Certificate in Education (NCE) graduates are equipped with professional knowledge, practice, engagement and pedagogical skills (NCCE, 2020). Consequently, the NCCE produces the minimum standards for NCE which is used for all the programmes and courses offered in all the Colleges of Education in Nigeria including NCE (Vocational education) programmes

Nigerian Certificate in Education (Vocational Education) is one of the programmes offered in Colleges of Education with the aim of providing Vocational trainings, intellectual and professional background adequate for employment. According to NCCE courses offered in the NCE (Vocational) programme includes: home economics, business education, fine and applied art and agricultural education. The teaching and learning at this level are based on the course content specified on the minimum standard and support by Federal Government through Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND). Similarly, the establishments of TETFUND by the Federal Government has helped generate a lot of resources for funding infrastructure and training in Universities, Polytechnics and College of Education not only North-Central but across the country. The funds collected has changed the outlook of many tertiary institutions and enhanced the quality of teaching and learning in addition to staff training and development. Thus, fuel subsidy by the federal Government is an assistance given by government to individual or businesses in the form of cash or grants or tax break that helps reduce the prices of goods and services. They are provided to specific industries or firms and companies with the aims of keeping the prices of products and services low for people to be able to afford, boost production and consumption (Imam, 2023).

Economists believe that removing fuel subsidy will free up financial resources for other sectors of the economy, reduce importation of refined products and thus, increase employment opportunities. However, studies have shown that fuel subsidy removal in Nigeria has caused inflation and reduce economic welfare, hurt economic growth and thus, reduce household income particularly the civil servants (Abdullahi & Abdullahi, 2023). The teaching profession is worse hit by the subsidy removal and had undesirable consequences in teachers’ performance and students’ achievement in colleges of education. The removal of fuel subsidy has brought untold hardship to job performance of the lecturers of vocational education of colleges of education of North-central and this have seriously affected the student academic achievement and lecturers job performance (Ugochukwu & Nwaru, 2024).

Lecturers job performance is a complex and multidimensional concept that encompasses a lecturer’s effectiveness in carrying out their roles and responsibilities within a higher education institution (Awodiji et al., 2020). Recent research highlights that performance isn’t just about teaching; it also includes research, publication, and community service. Several factors, both internal and external, significantly influence a lecturer’s ability to perform their job well. The job performance of lecturers was affected as a result of the fuel subsidy removal. It is believed that the proceeds from the sale of petroleum products are used to finance projects in education, lecturers welfare and students academic activities, health, agriculture, aviation, trade and investment, industry and governance among others. It is an important energy source that play a crucial role in enabling growth in society and supporting daily operations through the utilization of its various derivative. The removal of fuel subsidy has influenced lecturers welfare in higher institutions Fabian (2023) sees lecturers welfare as part of management which is concerned with the physical and mental being of employees. Therefore, removal of fuel subsidy has brought untold hardship to the teaching and non-teaching staff in tertiary institutions (Awodiji et al., 2020). We must also not lose sight of the increase in school fees in the institution occasioned by the removal of subsidy in petroleum products which have affected not only the parents but also the academic achievement of the students.

Students’ academic achievement has to do with the successful accomplishment of goals, measured by the extent to which instructional objectives are achieved. Academic achievement is a measure of the degree of success in performing specific tasks in a subject area or areas of study by students after a learning experience. Whereas Ahmad and Ombuguhim, (2020) defined student academic achievement as the scholastic standing of a student at a given moment in learning both theoretical and practical skills in science and technology. Ugochukwu and Nwaru (2024) pointed out that fuel subsidy removal influenced academic activities in the tertiary institutions in Nigeria as the exorbitant cost of fuel automatically increased the prices of almost everything relating to teaching and learning. This has led to students trekking very long distances before getting to their various schools, late attendance and non attendance thus making life unbearable, increased economic hardship and worsening poor living standards has ravaged all. According to Ukozor and Ogunode (2023), the removal of subsidies has affected both private and public institutions, in fact it has adversely affected every aspect of the economy.  The sufferings occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy on staff and students in tertiary institutions is alarming. It is against this background that the researchers decided to carry out a study on impact of subsidy removal on lecturers job-performance and students academic achievement in Vocational Education in Colleges of Education North-Central, Nigeria

Statement of the Research Problem:

The consequence of subsidy removal on goods in Nigeria may not be limited to social and economic hardship, but its negative effect has particularly been felt in education sectors, agriculture, health, service delivery, security among others (Imam, 2023). In education, the likely effect might be poor job performance by the lecturers, learning resources deficit, unethical students’ behavior, corruption and other sharp practices by lecturers and students academic performances among other vices. The implication of these may be seen visibly in poor lesson preparation and presentation, students’ absenteeism, ill-conceived lecturer student interaction and unsatisfactory mode of evaluation and assessment. The current trend is worrisome and should not be allowed to continue by stakeholders. Thus, government intervention aimed at lowering fuel costs involves providing direct financial support to oil companies, effectively subsidizing fuel prices for consumers (Nwoso, 2021). Nwoso added that this intervention plays a crucial role in supporting vital sectors of the economy and infrastructure development. However, despite its benefits, the removal of fuel subsidies has significantly impacted low- income households.

Since President Tinubu’s administration announced the end of fuel subsidies on May 29, 2023, Nigerians, particularly students and lecturers have experienced a sharp increase in transportation costs due to soaring fuel prices. Furthermore, rising inflation has exacerbated household hardships, leading to increased prices for food, rent, and other essential commodities. The removal of fuel subsidies has driven up the prices of goods and services across all sectors of the Nigerian economy. Tertiary institutions in North-Central have been particularly affected as students and lecturers many of whom are low-income earners, face significant financial strain in  meeting  academic requirements  due to  the high  cost  of  fuel (Ogunade & Ojochenemi, 2023). Specifically, the consequence of fuel Subsidy-removal on lecturers job performance and students academic performance may have multiple effects on the quality of instructional and training given to students at various levels and thus, affects their competencies and passion for work. Failure to address these inadequacies may frustrate the objective of training teachers that can stand academically and professionally. Hence, there is need to carry out a study on the impact of subsidy-removal on lecturers job performance and student academic achievement of vocational education in College of Education in North-Central Nigeria.

Aim and Objectives of the Study

The aim of the study was to assess the impact of subsidy-removal on lecturers job performance and student academic achievement of Vocational education in College of Education in North-Central Nigeria. The specific objectives of the study were to assess:

1. The impact of subsidy removal on lecturers job performance of vocational education within colleges of education in North-Central, Nigeria
2. The impact of subsidy removal on students’ academic achievement of vocational education

Research Questions

The following research questions were formulated to guide the study

1. What are effects of fuel subsidy removal on lecturers job performance in vocational education in Colleges of Education in North-Central, Nigeria?
2. What ways has fuel subsidy removal affected students’ academic achievement in vocational education in colleges of education in North-Central, Nigeria?

METHODOLOGY

This study adopted survey research design and the study was carried out in ten (10) Federal and State Colleges of Education in North-Central Nigeria using structured questionnaire titled: Impact of Subsidy-Removal on Lecturers Job Performance and Student Academic Achievement in Vocational Education (ISRLJSAAVE) as the instrument for data collection which was designed by the researchers using 5 Likert rating scale with response option as Strongly Agreed (SA), Agreed (A), Disagreed (DA), Strongly Disagreed (SD) and Undecided (U). The instruments for data collection was subjected to face content and construct validation by chief lecturer from department of Vocational Education Federal College of Education Zuba and two chief lecturers from School of Vocational Education Home Economies department Niger State College of Education Minna. The total population for the study was 379 lecturers from 4 Federal and 6 States Colleges of Education offering vocational education within the North-Central Nigeria. The North Central geopolitical zone consists of 6 states Niger, Kwara, Nassarawa, Kogi, Benue, Plateau and Federal Capital Territory that serve to link the core North and South. The choice of the zone is essential because it housed the Federal Capital where people of diverse culture and tradition reside. The instrument was administered by the researcher with aid of HODs to all the academic lecturers from the school of vocational education teaching Home Economics, Agricultural Science, Applied and fine Art and Business Education in 4 federal and 6 state colleges of education within North-Central, Nigeria. Data collected was analysed using mean and standard deviation to answer research questions and any mean of response of the respondent that were less than 2.50 were marked as disagreed while above as agreed.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The data collected for the study were analyzed and presented. The analysis and presentation were organized based on research questions.

Research Question 1

What are the effects of fuel subsidy removal on lecturers job performance in vocational education in colleges of education in North-Central, Nigeria?

The data for answering research question one is contained in Table 1

Table 1: Mean and standard deviation of respondent on the effects of fuel subsidy  removal  on  lecturers job performance in vocational education in colleges of education in North-Central, Nigeria                                                               N=379

Keys : N = 379 Nos of respondents (lecturers only)  – Mean, SD – Standard Deviation

Table 1 revealed the mean and standard deviation of respondents posed on the effects of fuel subsidy removal on lecturers job performance in vocational education in colleges of education in North-Central, Nigeria. The respondents agreed to all the 12 items with mean ranging from 3.16 to 4.07 with a resulting grand mean total of 3.87 indicating that the respondents strongly agreed to all the items as the effects of fuel subsidy removal on lecturers job performance in vocational education in colleges of education in North-Central, Nigeria. The standard deviation of the items ranges from 0.56 – 0.97 with average standard deviation of 0.83 this implies that the respondents were close to one another in their responses

Research Question 2: What ways has fuel subsidy removal affected students’ academic achievement in vocational education in colleges of education in North-Central, Nigeria?

The data for answering research question two is contained in Table 2

Table 2: Mean and standard deviation of respondent on the ways fuel subsidy removal affected students’ academic achievement in vocational education in colleges of education in North-Central, Nigeria

Table 2 revealed that the mean and standard deviation of respondents on the ways fuel subsidy removal affected students’ academic achievement in vocational education in colleges of education in North-Central, Nigeria. The respondents agreed to all the 12 items with mean ranging from 3.25 to 4.07 with a resulting grand mean total of 3.72 indicating that the respondents strongly agreed to all the items as the ways fuel subsidy removal affected students’ academic achievement in vocational education in Colleges of Education. The standard deviation of the items ranges from 0.79 – 0.97 with average standard deviation of 0.85 this implies that the respondents were close to one another in their responses

Findings of the Study

The following findings emerged from the study based on the data collected from the research questions answered.

1. The impact of subsidy removal on lecturers job performance in vocational education within colleges of education in North-Central revealed that: increased lecturers transportation costs to work thereby affecting their punctuality, the government intervention and support did not mitigate the adverse effects of fuel subsidy removal, ineffective strategies employed by the Government to enable lecturers to cope up with the impact of subsidy removal on their job performance, attending conferences and workshops have become difficult due to the rise in costs of fuel as a result of subsidy removal, provision of adequate medical services for staff family is tough due to inflation from fuel subsidy removal and payment of house rent by staff is difficult because of inflation arising from fuel subsidy removal among others
2. The impact of subsidy removal on students’ academic achievement in vocational education showed that: removal of fuel subsidy has forced students to work long hours thereby reducing study time influenced students’ academic performance, restricted students participation in extracurricular academic activities, high cost of feeding due to fuel subsidy has influenced students’ academic performance, students skipping of classes, high cost of textbooks and writing materials and forced students to be absent from class among others.

DISCUSSION OF THE FINDINGS

Table 1 provides answer to research question one on the impact of subsidy removal on lecturers job performance in vocational education within colleges of education in North-Central, Nigeria. The respondents agreed to all the 12 items with mean ranging from 3.16 to 4.07 with a resulting grand mean total of 3.87 indicating that the respondents strongly agreed to all the items as the effects of fuel subsidy removal on lecturers job performance in vocational education in colleges of education. This is in agreement with the view of Ugochukwu and Nwaru (2024) that the its impact is felt by the lecturers and management of such institutions due to the hyperinflation been witnessed in transportation, accommodation, feeding, learning materials and the cost of deploying technology. In agreement with Ugochukwu and Nwaru, Fabian, (2023) observed that lecturers now resort to public transport while students now walk to school in addition to making some of them to beggar and in some cases prostitution which negatively affect their learning abilities and emotional stability. In-line with above Joseph (2022) also said that the removal of subsidies from Petroleum Products has affected all educational institutions not only vocational education in colleges of education but all tertiary institutions which the most complex and highly expensive form of education is globally.in agreement with Joseph view, Dauda (2020) also observed that job performances of lecturers are affected by several factors that includes moral stability, depression, poverty and family crisis among others. In-line with Dauda statement, Fabian (2023) noted that the cost  of  transportation  has  also  made  it  difficult  for  lecturer  to  commute  to  schools  in  time and leading to increased absenteeism.

Table 2 provides answer to research question two on the impact of subsidy removal on students’ academic achievement in vocational education. Darlington and Monday, (2023) observed that fuel subsidy removal have affected all tertiary institutions, school administrators, academic and non-academic staff and students academic performance.   Darlington and Monday added that many students have been affected psychologically to the extents that their academic performances were very poor and some were forced to defer session or semester due economic crisis while many others had low grades. In-line with above, Imam (2023) observed that the removal of fuel subsidy which has in turn led to transport hike have adversely affected students academic performance, quality and quantity of scientific research and their vocational skill training. In agreement with Iman, Abdullahi and Abdullahi (2023) observed that the increased cost of living has made it difficult for parents not to afford basic educational materials such as tuition fees, accommodation fees, foodstuffs, transportation fees, textbooks and others for their children. Abdullahi and Abdullahi added that fuel subsidy removal has brought about poor academic performance among students studying vocational education at various   colleges of education in the country.

CONCLUSION

The study assesses the impact of subsidy-removal on lecturers job performance and student academic achievement in vocational education in College of Education in North-Central Nigeria which reveals significant adverse effects on both the lecturers job performance and students academic achievement. The removal of fuel subsidies has substantially increased financial strain on academic lecturers, leading to challenges in managing personal budgets and affecting their overall well-being and also the students. The heightened commuting costs have not only strained their finances but also limited their professional activities, such as attending conferences and engaging in research, crucial for career development. Financial difficulties resulting from the subsidy removal have contributed to decreased academic lecturers and students morale, motivation, and productivity. The increased burden has led to their high absenteeism and reduced professional engagement, impacting the quality of education and institutional performance. Additionally, the study highlights that these financial pressures have influenced lecturers decisions regarding job retention, further compounding the challenges faced by educational institutions. The fuel subsidy removal has had a detrimental effect on both the academic lecturers and students professional and personal lives undermining their well-being and productivity.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Based on the findings of the study the  following recommendations were made

1. Effort should be made by both State and Federal government to increase funding on education and as well establish scholarships and financial aid to assist both the lecturers and students with require financial assistance especially those  adversely  affected  by  increased transportation, rents and living cost dues to the fuel subsidy removal.
2. Colleges of education management should negotiate with student union and other stakeholders such as parents, alumnus and labour unions before increasing school fees in order to bring harmony in the system.
3. Government should subsidise essentials educational instructional materials for students such as textbooks, computers, transportation fees among others, in order to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal in the country.

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