MARKETING EDUCATION FOR ECONOMIC SURVIVAL: THE CASE OF UNIVERSITY OF UYO

Abstract

This paper views marketing education in two perspectives-as a practice whereby school-leavers exchange their knowledge and skills for money and secondly, as a practice whereby the entire educational institution like, the University of Uyo, exchanges/should exchange her stock of knowledge and skills to make more money. The paper concentrates more on the second perspective and highlights four strategies which the University of Uyo uses to source for more money. These include product diversification, discriminatory charging of students’, the use of multiple distribution channels and outright use of marketing promotion strategies, like advertising and appeal for support from the public. Education marketing is found to contribute greatly towards the internally-generated revenue (IGR) of the University of Uyo. Suggestions for greater strides in marketing by the university include setting up a distinct marketing management unit, experimenting on having cottage industries, especially for products that are of high demand by the employees like fuel; more involvement of the Alumni in fund generation, extending university services to artisans and finally, auditing the marketing outcomes and activities. The paper concludes that involvement in marketing is one sure way of stopping over-dependence on the government/proprietor for funds by higher educational institutions in Nigeria.