Quality of Marketing Education and the Performance of Marketing Graduates in Nigeria

Need for Theory-Practice Synergy

Abstract

This study surveyed the views of marketing educators, practitioners and graduating students over the increasing gap between marketing theory and practice in Nigeria which has led to the displacement of marketing graduates from marketing positions in many companies across various industries. The survey research design was adopted while a convenience sample size of 180 respondents was used. The respondents were drawn from Marketing lecturers and students in tertiary institutions offering Marketing in the South-east and South-south, as well as industry managers. The study revealed that the level of synergy between marketing theory and practice in Nigeria was poor which results in poor performance of marketing graduates and that the quality of marketing education and methods adopted in teaching the subject matter have high impact on graduates’ performance. It was recommended among others that tertiary institutions offering marketing should seek strong linkage, relationship and knowledge coalition with industry players and employers of labour and that NUC, NIMN and institutional authorities should put an eagle eye on the quality of lecturers, materials and learning environment in order to boost the quality and relevance of marketing education.