Environmental Management System for Nigeria’s Higher Education: Two-Year Pilot Analysis

Hypothetical research into how the introduction and utilisation of Environmental Management Systems (EMS) could be instituted into Nigeria’s higher education scheme, as a means to improve environmental awareness and sustainable development practices on university campuses, is explored. Qualitative methodologies are utilised based on reviewed literature, semi-structured interviews, personal experiences and structured questionnaires. Effective potential EMS for Nigeria’s higher education, demands policy-orientedgovernment directives and commitments in terms of strict regulatory legislation and coordination of related management support. Reported two-year findings illustrate EMS implementation blockage due to a lack ofgovernment initiative and managerial commitment accompaniment throughout Nigeria’s overall education sector. This blockage includes inadequate salary structures, lack of funding, insufficient academic curriculum and disconnect between universities and society at large. The research posits a preliminary platform towards creating EMS practices and processes, and its significant role in the definition of sustainable campuses and research via educative activities. It highlights the need for re-evaluation of Nigeria’s higher education scheme and its academic curriculum to create room for improved environmental awareness and performance, and work toward sustainable development, especially, in an era where several universities in Nigeria are housing dilapidated infrastructures and weak related institutional frameworks.