INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NATIONAL POLICY ON PRIMARY EDUCATION IN LAGOS STATE, NIGERIA, 1999-2015

Abstract

Intergovernmental relations (IGR), the interaction among multiple levels of government, is an important factor in the implementation of public policy in federations and effective collaboration among multiple agencies of government is essential for the achievement of policy goals. Although studies have examined the role of IGR in public policy making processes in Nigeria, few have examined the framework of IGR in educational policies. This study was, therefore, designed to investigate the IGR framework as an important factor in the implementation of National Policy on Primary Education in Lagos State, Nigeria.

The study was anchored to the Administrative Federalism and Contingency Models of collaborative governance while a case study design was adopted. Primary data were collected using in-depth interviews. Seventeen interview participants were purposively selected from the management cadre of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) (5); Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (LSUBEB) (6); and Public Primary Schools (6) under selected Local Government Education Authority (LGEA). The interviews focused on starting conditions, institutional design, facilitative leadership and collaborative process. Secondary data on the intergovernmental relations framework dynamics for implementing the National Primary Education Policy were obtained from official publications such as; Nigerian Education Sector Diagnosis, UBEC statistical bulletin, Nigerian Digest of Education Statistics, 2006-2010 and Nigerian Education Data Survey. Data were content analysed.

With regard to starting conditions, there was power and resource imbalance between UBEC and LSUBEB, and between LSUBEB and LGEAs. Relations among these agencies had been frosty. However, the conditional matching grant was the main incentive for collaboration. The UBE Act and Lagos State UBE law, though intended to ensure accountability and assign functions to respective agencies, created a superordinate-subordinate relationship among these agencies officials. To ensure accountability, the Commission withheld matching grants when States failed to account for previous grants. Accountability deficit led to the inability of Lagos State to consistently access its matching grants during the period. Facilitative leadership through effective coordination of interagency activities by UBEC was hampered by the multiplicity of agencies as the institutional design failed to clearly define the functions of these agencies. Duplication of functions amongst implementing agencies undermined efficiency. Total primary school enrolment for Lagos State, which was 133,339 in 1998, reduced to 108,312 in 2003 and increased to 502,347 in 2013 but reduced to 400,277 in 2014. The trend indicated that the collaborative process was not yielding expected outcome due to the fluctuations. Low level of trust between the Commission, Board and Education authority undermined collaboration in the intergovernmental structures and processes, thereby limiting the actualisation of primary education goals.

The Intergovernmental Relations framework in Lagos State was characterised by low level of trust between the implementing agencies, and this undermined the achievement of the primary education policy goals. Increased dialogue among officials of the levels of government to achieve buy-in of all implementing agencies would raise the trust level needed for effective collaboration.