Value Theory and the Commodification of Education in Nigerian Private Universities: An Analytical Inquiry

This study applies value theory to the analysis of the commodification of education in Nigerian private universities, examining whether the commercialisation of higher education constitutes a philosophically identifiable moral wrong by transforming an intrinsic good into a tradeable commodity. Value theory addresses the distinction between intrinsic and instrumental goods and the moral consequences of subjecting intrinsic goods to market exchange, and its application to Nigerian private university education fills a significant gap in the philosophical literature on African higher education. A mixed-methods philosophical design is employed, combining systematic philosophical analysis of value theory from Michael Sandel, Elizabeth Anderson, and African philosophy of education with a quantitative survey of 320 students and 40 academic staff across five private universities in the South West and South South geopolitical zones, supplemented by 30 qualitative interviews. The survey measures the extent to which students experience education instrumentally and the degree to which market relationships have displaced pedagogical relationships. Findings reveal a statistically significant positive correlation between tuition fees and the extent to which students report experiencing their education as a transactional rather than a formative good, supporting the philosophical hypothesis that commodification displaces intrinsic educational value. The study contributes an original application of value theory to Nigerian higher education policy debate. Keywords: value theory, commodification, education ethics, Nigerian private universities, intrinsic goods.