Challenges of Implementing Individual Education Plans in Primary Schools in Kogi State

This study examines the challenges encountered in the implementation of Individual Education Plans for students with special educational needs in primary schools in Kogi State, North Central Nigeria. Individual Education Plans are personalised documents outlining specific learning goals, support strategies, assessment accommodations, and review schedules tailored to the unique needs of each student with a disability or special learning requirement. While mandated in advanced special education systems globally, Individual Education Plans remain poorly understood and inconsistently implemented in Nigerian primary schools. The study adopts a qualitative research design, conducting in-depth interviews with thirty-five teachers, school administrators, and education officers across Lokoja, Kabba, and Okene Local Government Areas. Data are subjected to thematic analysis, identifying recurring patterns in the challenges and enabling conditions surrounding IEP implementation. The study examines barriers including lack of teacher training, time constraints, parental non-participation, inadequate administrative guidance, and absence of inter-professional collaboration. Findings are expected to reveal a near-total absence of formalised IEP processes, with most special needs accommodation occurring informally at teacher discretion. Recommendations include developing a simplified IEP template adapted to Nigerian primary school conditions, providing training workshops for head teachers and classroom teachers, and piloting a whole-school IEP implementation model in three demonstration schools in Kogi State. Keywords: Individual Education Plans, special educational needs, primary schools, Kogi State, implementation.