Assessing the relationship among service quality, student satisfaction and loyalty: the NIGERIAN higher education experience

Higher educational institutions are engaged in the provision of services and thus require better focus on satisfying the needs and anticipation of their participating consumers (students). Additionally, it is the delivery of quality services that creates loyal consumers: consumers who patronize the institution more and who stimulate others to patronize. While past researchers have discovered a relationship between service quality and student loyalty in higher educational institutions (HEIs) in developed countries, the peculiar nature of HEIs operating in an emerging country like Nigeria is yet to be examined. Therefore, this study examined the role of quality service, student satisfaction and loyalty in higher education institutions in Nigeria. The study was conducted in a private University in Nigeria because of the stringent competition within the subsector. The descriptive and inferential statistics were employed in this study. A survey of 265 students from the private university provided data for the study through structured questionnaire. Utilizing the structural equation model. The findings revealed a significant association between service quality and student loyalty. However, this relationship is mediated by student satisfaction. Going by the discoveries of the study, it is suggested among others, that the delivery of quality services should be targeted towards satisfying the student as this will help build the loyalty of the student to the institution.