The Politics of Educational Decentralisation and Local Governance Capacity in Three Northern Nigerian States: A Comparative Political Economy

This study conducts a comparative political economy analysis of the politics of educational decentralisation and its relationship to local governance capacity in Kano, Sokoto, and Adamawa States, representing the North West and North East geopolitical zones. Decentralisation in education has been widely promoted as a governance reform intended to improve local responsiveness, accountability, and educational outcomes. Yet the political dynamics and local capacity conditions that determine whether decentralisation fulfils its theoretical potential remain inadequately theorised in the Nigerian context. The study employs a comparative case study design. Forty-five months of fieldwork across three states involves 60 elite and expert interviews, extensive documentary analysis of decentralisation legislation, budget records, and audit reports, and nine focus groups with local education officials and community leaders. Data are analysed using comparative political analysis, political economy mapping, and qualitative comparative analysis. The study draws on Fiscal Federalism Theory, the Political Economy of Decentralisation Framework, and State Capacity Theory. Findings reveal that the political motivations for decentralisation, whether driven by genuine governance reform or by elite resource redistribution strategies, are the primary determinants of local capacity outcomes. In states where decentralisation has served as a mechanism for political patronage, local governance capacity has deteriorated rather than improved. Sokoto demonstrates the strongest local capacity outcomes, associated with consistent policy intent and community-rooted governance traditions. The study makes original theoretical contributions through a Political Economy of Educational Decentralisation Model for Northern Nigerian contexts. Keywords: decentralisation, political economy, local governance, Northern Nigeria, comparative analysis.