Northern Nigeria teacher education project

This document describes the lessons provided by NNTEP for the design and implementation of future participant training programs, especially those in the education sector. The authors' major conclusion is that NNTEP's unanticipated effects had a more important and longstanding impact on the leadership and institutional development of the Nigerian education system than did the negligible progress made in improving the quality and efficiency of primary teacher training. After describing the project's history and original objectives, the paper discusses several impediments to the achievement of A.I.D. expectations. For example, the University of Wisconsin (UW), which implemented the project, had insufficient experience and time to devote to curriculum development, despite A.I.D.'s emphasis on this particular component. Nevertheless, the collaborative work on curriculum development between UW and the Ahmadu Bello University Institute of Education (IE) contributed substantially to IE's growth as a major educational resource and influence in the region. Another of NNTEP's major achievements was the development of a regional consensus on examinations and curriculum. A key lesson taught by NNTEP is that the training program's success was largely due to highly motivated trainees, committed mid-career professionals, and host country recognition of the contracted U.S. university as a superior institution. NNTEP also demonstrated, however, that curriculum reform cannot be achieved overnight and, more generally, that technical assistance projects must be designed with realistic implementation schedules and carefully delineated supervisory responsibilities. A.I.D. should show host governments alternative, least-cost solutions to stated policy goals, including one of the most effective of such strategies, participant training. Appendices on evaluation methodology, NNTEP curriculum development, and the expansion and financing of the Nigerian educational system are included.