Intergovernmental relations and national education policy implementation in Lagos State, Nigeria

Intergovernmental relations (IGR), the interaction among multiple levels of government, is an essential factor in implementing public policy in federations. Effective collaboration among numerous agencies of government is necessary for achieving policy goals. This study investigated the IGR framework as an essential factor in implementing the National Policy on Primary Education (NPPE) in Lagos State, Nigeria. The study was guided by administrative federalism theory and primary data were collected using in-depth interviews. This was complemented with secondary data from the scholarly literature and official publications. Data obtained were content analyzed. Findings from the study indicate that intergovernmental relations in Lagos State were characterized by a low level of trust between the implementing agencies, which undermined the achievement of the primary education policy goals. Increased dialogue among officials of the levels of government to achieve the buy-in of all implementing agencies would raise the level of trust needed for effective collaboration.