Tertiary institutions are citadel of learning that are expected to provide solutions to personal, socio-economic and political problems that the home and other institutions cannot resolve. These institutions in Nigeria are beginning to subscribe to pressure of ethnic influence, a condition that tends to plague the nation as issues of national interest are being perceived from ethnic underdone in the face of gross insecurity bedeviling the nation. This paper takes a cursory look at a few influences of ethnicity on appointment of members of governing council, Vice Chancellorship appointment, staff recruitment and students' admissions. The paper however proffers ways of ameliorating the influence of ethnicity on human resource management in Nigerian tertiary institutions; among these are creating equal opportunities for all, vital requirement like scholarship, integrity, experience should predicate the appointment of vice chancellor of universities and using merit as a criterion for admission among others.