Developing a National Framework for Transition Services for Students with Disabilities Exiting Secondary School in Nigeria

This doctoral study develops a national framework for transition services for students with disabilities exiting secondary school in Nigeria, generating an original policy and practice architecture grounded in extensive empirical research and stakeholder consultation. Transition from secondary school to adult life, including further education, employment, and community participation, represents the most consequential and least supported phase in the educational journey of young people with disabilities in Nigeria. The absence of a formalised national transition framework results in fragmented, underfunded, and poorly coordinated services that leave most young people with disabilities without the support they need for successful adulthood. The study employs a policy development research methodology in four phases: systematic review of international transition frameworks and Nigerian post-school outcomes data; large-scale national consultation involving two thousand five hundred students with disabilities, families, educators, employers, and policymakers across all six geopolitical zones; framework drafting by a nationally representative technical working group; and piloting and validation of the draft framework across twenty secondary schools and twelve community settings in six states. The resulting National Transition Framework for Students with Disabilities addresses assessment, planning, service coordination, interagency collaboration, self-determination development, and quality assurance. It represents both an original scholarly contribution and a practical policy instrument ready for adoption by the Federal Ministry of Education. Keywords: transition framework, disability, secondary school, national policy, Nigeria.