Administrators' Financial Management Practices for Effective Service Delivery in Imo State-Owned Universities

This study investigated administrators' financial management practices for effective service delivery in Imo State universities. Three research questions and three null hypotheses guided the study. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The population comprised 90 respondents (50 administrators and 40 bursars/accountants) drawn from Imo State University, Owerri and Federal University of Technology Owerri, of whom 40 (10 administrators and 30 bursars/accountants) responded. A structured questionnaire titled 'Administrators' Financial Management Practices Questionnaire was used for data collection. Cronbach alpha reliability coefficient of 0.83 was obtained. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions, while t-test statistical tool was used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that budget planning and implementation, resource allocation for service delivery, and financial accountability mechanisms were all practiced to a high extent in the universities studied. The study recommended, among others, that university administrators should strengthen internal financial control mechanisms and ensure that budgetary allocations reflect the actual needs of academic and administrative units for improved service delivery.