This study investigated the management of planning practices for effective implementation of policies in public universities in Rivers State, Nigeria. The persistent gap between policy formulation and actual implementation in the Nigerian university system has been linked to inadequate planning, weak institutional capacity, and poor coordination of resources and personnel. To address this concern, the study examined the extent to which key planning practices—curriculum planning, human resource planning, financial planning, students’ welfare planning, community service planning, facilities planning, and staff training—are managed for effective policy implementation in federal and state universities.

The study was anchored on Henri Fayol’s Administrative Management Theory and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs theory, which emphasize structured management processes, coordination of resources, and the importance of staff motivation and welfare for organizational effectiveness. A descriptive survey research design was adopted. The population comprised 2,985 academic staff across three public universities in Rivers State. A sample of 800 academic staff, representing 26 percent of the population, was selected using proportionate sampling techniques. Data were collected using a researcher-developed questionnaire titled Management of Planning Practices for Effective Policy Implementation in Public Universities Questionnaire (MPPEPIPUQ). Mean scores and standard deviations were used to answer the research questions, while t-test statistics were employed to test the seven null hypotheses at a 0.05 level of significance.

Findings revealed that curriculum planning, human resource planning, financial planning, students’ welfare planning, community service planning, facilities planning, and staff training were managed to a high extent for effective policy implementation in public universities in Rivers State, as their grand mean values were all above the criterion mean of 2.50. Hypotheses testing indicated no significant differences between federal and state universities in most planning areas, except for community service planning, where a significant difference was observed. The results suggest that comprehensive and well-coordinated planning practices contribute positively to the effective implementation of university policies.

The study concluded that effective policy implementation in public universities requires integrated management planning practices that align institutional goals with available resources and stakeholder needs. It recommended that university administrators strengthen curriculum alignment with societal needs, improve human resource and financial planning, prioritize student welfare, invest in infrastructure, enhance community engagement, and promote continuous staff training to ensure successful policy outcomes. The findings contribute to the body of knowledge in educational administration by demonstrating the importance of strategic planning practices in achieving effective policy implementation in public universities.