Juxtaposing the synopsis of Nigerian education system reforms with the principle of sustainable system-wide change: Implications for the Nigerian basic education system

Reform in education is an inevitable, continuous phenomenon that usually takes place as a result of problems with the previous curriculum, changes in societal needs, responses to disasters or crises, staying up to date with new national challenges, the need to raise educational standards, expectations for the future, staff innovation, and leadership changes. A change in education that affects every level, classrooms, structures, teaching environment, schools at the district/local, province/state/regional, and federal/national governments, as well as the administrative and governmental procedures that steer the entire educational process, is referred to as system-wide change. This kind of change offers a framework for a comprehensive change model that depends on systemic change that is rooted in stakeholders’ continuous engagement and shared ownership of the change effort and is driven locally. Nigeria has seen a number of changes in its educational system prior to, during, and following colonial rule. This paper juxtaposed the educational reforms that have been carried out in Nigeria before, during, and after her independence with the principle of system-wide change. It was found that Nigerian educational reform has not adhered to the tenets of the system-wide change process. Therefore, the paper suggests that in order for Nigeria's educational system to successfully undergo change, it must do so in accordance with the principle of system-wide reform procedure, which includes developing systems design, extended stakeholders’ ownership, a systems perspective on education, learning organisations, and changing stakeholder mindsets about education.