The study examined the implications of financial distress on tertiary Education Nigeria. The financial distress in tertiary institutions in Nigeria today can be attributed to poor management and leadership problems. This has tremendously affected the operations of higher institutions in Nigeria. The university system requires a lot of funds for effective administration to be able to achieve its goals. The inability of the government to stick to the UNESCO 26% of national budget for education has seriously affected the management of Nigerian universities. Most of Nigerian tertiary institutions today face a lot of problems due to financial distress. As many of them find it difficult to pay workers’ salaries, provide adequate infrastructure and teaching equipment. The causes and implications of financial distress on tertiary Education were examined. It was recommended that both federal and state governments need to collaborate more with the private sector to explore opportunities for raising non-traditional funds and participation in education financing. Also, government should stop the habit of diverting the funds meant for tertiary education projects to other sectors. In addition, funds disbursed for projects and programmes should be adequately supervised, monitored and evaluated to achieve effective implementation.
Keywords: Administration, Financial Distress, Government, Management, tertiary education