Stakeholder Participation in Adult Education Programme Design in Niger State

This study investigated the nature and extent of stakeholder participation in adult education programme design in Niger State, North Central Nigeria. Participatory programme design is a core principle of effective adult education, ensuring that programmes are responsive to learner and community needs rather than driven solely by administrative priorities. The study employed a descriptive survey design involving 65 programme design officers, community representatives, adult learners, and facilitators from five local government areas. Stakeholder engagement assessment tools, document reviews of design process records, and structured interviews formed the data collection basis. Findings revealed that stakeholder participation in programme design was limited and largely tokenistic. Community consultations, where they occurred, happened at the end of design processes to validate pre-determined content rather than at the beginning to shape programme priorities. Adult learners themselves were rarely consulted at any stage of the design cycle. Stakeholder engagement was strongest in communities where development-oriented NGOs had previously conducted participatory needs assessments, suggesting that capacity for participatory practice exists but requires deliberate cultivation. Recommendations include establishing formal stakeholder consultation committees as a mandatory stage in the programme design cycle for Niger State, developing a standardised participatory programme design toolkit for use by planning officers, providing training in participatory appraisal techniques for all programme designers, and documenting and disseminating participatory design success stories to build institutional confidence in community-led approaches. Keywords: stakeholder participation, programme design, adult education, Niger State, community engagement.