Public Administration Research; Vol. 3, No. 2; 2014 ISSN 1927-517x E-ISSN 1927-5188 Published by Canadian Center of Science and Education 171 Institutional Factors Affecting the Academic Performance of Public Administration Students in a Nigerian University Ogbogu Christiana Osaikhiuwu 1 1 Department of Public Administration, Faculty of Administration, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria Correspondence: Ogbogu Christiana Osaikhiuwu, Department of Public Administration, Faculty of Administration, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Tel: 234-80-3426-5522. E-mail: tinaogbogu@yahoo.com; cogbogu@oauife.edu.ng Received: September 11, 2014 Accepted: September 22, 2014 Online Published: October 29, 2014 doi:10.5539/par.v3n2p171 URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/par.v3n2p171 Abstract This study investigated the institutional factors which affect the performance of Public Administration students in a Nigerian University. Primary data were obtained through the administration of questionnaires on 131 final year students of Public Administration using the purposive sampling technique. The instrument yielded a positive reliability test of 0.76 using the cronbach alpha. Retrieved data were analysed using Pearson’s Correlation, factor analysis and simple percentages. Results showed that just 53% of the students performed above average with a CGPA of 3.0. However, the result of the Pearson correlation coefficient (r = - 0.052, 0.152 and - 0.071) generally revealed that the institutional variables considered (such as unfavourable learning conditions, interrupted water supply, poorly equipped library etc) did not have any significant impact on students’ performance (p > 0.05). The study therefore concluded that students’ academic performance could be influenced by some other factors which should be investigated in future research. Keywords: institutional factors, performance, Public Administration students, Nigerian University 1. Introduction Universities are engines for economic growth committed to building a skilled workforce. They teach, conduct research to advance knowledge and promote creativity and innovation. Nigerian Universities were established to pursue the goals of developing skilled and cultured citizens who could function as leaders in the society and also inherit the mantle of leadership from the colonialists shortly after independence in 1960 (Erero, 1996). However, with Universities currently facing huge financial and structural changes and juggling competing priorities, they are unable to fulfill these major roles. Universities in Nigeria contend with crises of major proportions which not only threaten their capacity to meet the challenges posed by the demands of the 21 st century and beyond but also impact on their ability to fulfill their roles of producing skilled manpower for national development (Sanda, 1991). The crises is attributed to the inability of Nigerian government to sufficiently fund her universities due to the growing enrollments, economic depression as well as the current global economic downturn which demands that governments improve efficiency in financial resource allocation and utilization. This has contributed to the challenges which degrade students’ performance. Some of such institutional factors which affect students’ performance include: poor funding, lack of frequent curricular review, overpopulation, students’ unrest, staff strikes, poor infrastructure, poor relations between the university and government and inadequate teaching and research facilities (Ogbogu, 2011). The poor performance of students which has become a challenging problem for the academic community has wide ranging implications for national development. Students perform poorly because the institutions have failed to create the environment that is accommodating and conducive to their learning and educational needs (Harb & El-Shaawari, 2006). The facilities available in most Nigerian Public Universities do not suffice in enhancing students learning and performance. Students therefore find it difficult to cope with the workload. Performance is vital because the level of success students achieve from the University has far-reaching implications for their personal and professional lives. Students’ performance impact on their career choice, personal income and level of success, as well as the degree of participation in community life (Grainen, 1995). Although a number of some personal and social factors such as family income, self-motivation, inability to manage school work and students’ personal circumstances, amongst others have contributed to the declining