Abstract:
This study examined the historical interface between missionary and government education in Kaduna Metropolis, with particular emphasis on the problems and prospects associated with the 1972 school take-over policy. Prior to 1972, education in Kaduna was largely driven by Christian missionary bodies, which played a pivotal role in the establishment, administration, and expansion of Western education in the region. These mission schools were instrumental in promoting literacy, moral instruction, and social mobility, thereby shaping the early educational landscape of Kaduna. However, the post-civil war Nigerian state, in pursuit of national integration, uniformity, and secularization of education, implemented the school take-over policy in 1972, transferring ownership and control of mission schools to the government. Using a qualitative historical methodology, the study relies on archival materials, government documents, missionary records, and oral interviews to interrogate the implications of this policy within Kaduna Metropolis. The findings reveal that while the takeover aimed at standardizing education and expanding access, it generated significant challenges, including administrative inefficiency, declined in discipline and moral instruction, erosion of infrastructural maintenance, and strained relations between the government and religious bodies. Conversely, the policy also created opportunities for broader state investment, increased enrolment, and the integration of diverse social groups into a unified educational system. The study argued that the 1972 school take-over was both transformative and disruptive, producing a complex legacy that continues to shape educational development in Kaduna. It concludes that a critical reassessment of the relationship between mission and state in education is essential for addressing contemporary challenges in the sector.
DOI: 10.36349/zamijoh.2026.v04i02.023
author/Fari A. A., Bawale S. & Abdullahi S.
journal/Zamfara IJOH Vol. 4, Issue 2
