Governance Innovations for Adult Education in Federal Systems: Lessons for Nigeria from Comparative International Experience

This study examines governance innovations for adult education in federal systems globally and derives original lessons and recommendations for reforming adult education governance in Nigeria's federal structure. Nigeria's adult education governance is fragmented across federal, state, and local government levels with unclear mandates, inadequate financing formulas, and weak coordination mechanisms that produce persistent underperformance. International experience from other federal systems, including India, Brazil, Germany, and South Africa, offers potentially transferable governance innovations for improving adult education system coherence and outcomes. This study uses a comparative public administration and education governance methodology, examining adult education governance architecture, financing formulas, quality assurance systems, intergovernmental coordination mechanisms, and civil society engagement frameworks in the four comparator countries and Nigeria. Document analysis, stakeholder interviews with 25 Nigerian adult education governance experts, and expert consultation workshops with international practitioners provide the empirical base. Comparative analysis is structured using the Multi-Level Governance analytical framework adapted for federal adult education systems. Findings identify seven governance innovations from comparator countries with strong transferability potential for Nigeria, including constitutionally protected adult education funding floors, regional adult education development compacts, demand-side learner empowerment grants, independent quality assurance agencies, and civil society governance board representation. The study develops an original Nigerian Adult Education Governance Reform Framework synthesising the most transferable international innovations with Nigeria-specific institutional constraints. It recommends a comprehensive governance reform programme led by the Federal Ministry of Education.

Keywords: governance innovations, adult education, federal systems, Nigeria, comparative education.