Procurement and Resource Management for Yoruba Language Laboratories in Nigerian Universities

Language laboratories are essential facilities for developing oral and aural Yoruba competence, yet procurement and resource management challenges have left many university Yoruba departments without functional language laboratory infrastructure. This study examines procurement and resource management practices for Yoruba language laboratories in Nigerian universities, focusing on institutions in Oyo, Osun, and Ondo States, South West Nigeria. Using a qualitative management study design, data were collected from facility managers, language laboratory technicians, heads of Yoruba departments, and university procurement officers through structured interviews and facility audit checklists. The study applies procurement management theory and educational facilities management frameworks to diagnose resource management deficiencies and propose evidence-based improvements. Existing literature on language laboratory management in Nigerian universities has focused on English language facilities, with Yoruba language laboratory resource management being specifically unaddressed. This study fills that professional and disciplinary gap. The research examines how universities acquire language laboratory equipment, how maintenance schedules are managed, how software licensing for Yoruba-language digital resources is handled, and how laboratory access is allocated to maximise student contact time. Findings are expected to reveal procurement delays, equipment obsolescence, and limited software licensing for Yoruba-specific instructional technologies as the dominant resource management challenges. Recommendations will address a resource management framework for Yoruba language laboratories including procurement planning, preventive maintenance protocols, and cost-sharing models applicable across Yoruba-department universities. Keywords: procurement management, Yoruba language laboratories, university resources, facilities management, language instruction.