Comparative Adult Education Systems in Nigeria and Ghana: Policy, Access, and Quality

This study conducted a systematic comparative analysis of adult education systems in Nigeria and Ghana, examining policy architecture, access equity, and programme quality dimensions within a common West African developmental context. Comparative adult education studies within the West African region are rare despite the significant policy learning potential of examining neighbouring countries with shared colonial histories, similar development challenges, and divergent adult education investment and institutional arrangements. The study employed a qualitative comparative methodology combining systematic document analysis of national adult education policy frameworks, legislation, and programme data from both countries, 56 elite interviews with senior adult education officials and scholars across Nigeria and Ghana, and comparative field observations at adult education programme sites in three states per country. Findings demonstrated that Ghana's adult education system, characterised by a more coherent institutional architecture, consistent government funding, stronger facilitation training infrastructure, and effective integration of the National Literacy Acceleration Programme, significantly outperformed Nigeria's system on measured access and quality indicators. Nigeria's larger economy and federal structure generated both greater system complexity and greater inter-state inequality in adult education provision. The study identified five transferable policy lessons from Ghana's experience, including dedicated adult education funding legislation, facilitator professionalisation, and community-led curriculum contextualisation, whose contextual adaptation for Nigeria is systematically elaborated. Original comparative contributions include a West African Adult Education System Quality Assessment Framework applicable across the region. Keywords: comparative adult education, Nigeria, Ghana, policy analysis, West Africa.