The Concept of Truth in Philosophical Discourse and Its Implications for Academic Integrity in Nigerian Universities

This study examines philosophical theories of truth and their implications for understanding and promoting academic integrity in Nigerian universities, with case studies drawn from institutions in the North Central and South West geopolitical zones. The proliferation of examination malpractice, plagiarism, and credential fraud in Nigerian tertiary institutions raises fundamental philosophical questions about the nature of truth, the ethics of knowledge claims, and the moral obligations of academic communities. Using a descriptive philosophical design, the study engages with the correspondence, coherence, and pragmatic theories of truth, as well as the virtue epistemology of Linda Zagzebski, supplemented by secondary philosophical literature published between 2020 and 2024. Surveys administered to 200 undergraduate students and 30 academic staff members in Jos and Ibadan provide the empirical data on attitudes to academic dishonesty. Findings reveal that academic dishonesty in Nigerian universities is philosophically rationalised through a pragmatist distortion of truth, in which students and staff prioritise the social consequences of academic success over the epistemic and moral value of authentic knowledge acquisition. The study argues that virtue epistemology, which focuses on intellectual character formation rather than rule compliance, offers the most sustainable philosophical basis for academic integrity programmes. Keywords: philosophy of truth, academic integrity, virtue epistemology, Nigerian universities, epistemic virtue.