Leadership and Administration in Adult Education Centres: Challenges and Prospects in South West Nigeria

This study examines leadership and administrative challenges facing adult education centre managers in South West Nigeria, with a focus on centres operating in Lagos, Ogun, and Ekiti States. Effective leadership is a critical determinant of adult education centre performance, influencing facilitator morale, learner retention, community relationships, and resource management. Despite this importance, centre-level leadership in Nigeria's adult education system has received limited empirical attention. This study uses a descriptive survey design, collecting data from 90 adult education centre managers and 180 facilitators in 30 centres across the three states. Leadership dimensions assessed include instructional leadership, community relations, resource management, conflict resolution, and professional development facilitation. Performance outcomes are measured through learner completion rates and facilitator satisfaction scores. Multiple regression analysis identifies leadership dimensions most predictive of centre performance. Findings reveal that instructional leadership and community relations skills are the strongest predictors of learner completion rates. Centres with managers who conduct regular supervisory visits and maintain active community partnerships demonstrate completion rates averaging 18 percentage points higher than those with less active managers. Administrative overload is identified as the primary constraint on leadership effectiveness. The study concludes that strengthening centre manager leadership capacity is a high-impact investment for improving adult education outcomes in South West Nigeria. It recommends a leadership development programme specifically designed for adult education centre managers, delivered through the state agencies.

Keywords: leadership, adult education centres, administration, South West Nigeria, centre management.