Community Mobilisation Strategies for Adult Education Programme Participation in Yobe State

This study investigated the effectiveness of community mobilisation strategies in improving adult education programme participation in Yobe State, North East Nigeria. Community mobilisation is widely regarded as a critical precondition for adult education programme success, yet evidence on which strategies are most effective in North East Nigerian post-conflict contexts is limited. The study adopted a mixed descriptive-evaluative approach involving 70 community mobilisation officers, programme supervisors, and community leaders across four local government areas. Questionnaires, focus group discussions, and comparative programme enrolment data across mobilisation strategy types formed the data collection framework. Findings revealed that face-to-face community meetings facilitated by respected traditional and religious leaders produced the highest enrolment and retention gains. Drama and storytelling-based awareness activities generated strong initial community interest but required follow-up structured outreach to convert awareness into sustained enrolment. Mass media approaches had limited reach in rural Yobe due to low radio ownership and network coverage. Mobilisation strategies that actively engaged community leaders as programme advocates were five times more likely to achieve sustainable enrolment targets than those relying solely on government-deployed mobilisation officers. Recommendations include formally training community leaders in adult education advocacy, developing a standardised mobilisation toolkit tailored to Yobe's linguistic and cultural diversity, establishing community mobilisation monitoring indicators, and linking mobilisation officer performance assessments to enrolment outcome data. The study contributes to the evidence base for community engagement strategies in conflict-affected education contexts. Keywords: community mobilisation, adult education, programme participation, Yobe State, enrolment strategies.