Impact of Decentralisation of Education Management on Service Delivery in Ogun State

This study examines the impact of education management decentralisation on service delivery quality in Ogun State, South West Nigeria. Decentralisation transfers administrative and financial decision-making closer to the school community, theoretically improving responsiveness, efficiency, and accountability. Nigeria has experimented with varying degrees of education decentralisation, with local government areas and state agencies sharing responsibility for basic and secondary education management. In Ogun State, the interaction between state and local government education management functions has created both opportunities and accountability challenges. A descriptive survey design was employed, with data from 50 local government education authority officers, 40 secondary school principals, and 100 teachers across Abeokuta, Ijebu-Ode, and Sagamu. Decentralisation quality was assessed using indicators of decision-making autonomy, resource management authority, and community participation in school governance. Service delivery was measured through teacher deployment efficiency, infrastructure maintenance responsiveness, and examination supply timeliness. Regression and correlation analyses were applied. Results indicate that higher levels of functional decentralisation are associated with better service delivery responsiveness at the school level. However, inadequate financial transfers from the state to LGEAs constrain the practical benefits of devolved authority. The study concludes that decentralisation improves education service delivery when adequately funded and governed. It recommends that the Ogun State Government establish a transparent education fund transfer formula to LGEAs and introduce a joint accountability framework that links decentralised funding to measurable service delivery targets.

Keywords: decentralisation, education management, service delivery, Ogun State, local government.