Methodological Evaluation of Nigerian Secondary Schools Systems: A Replication Study on System Reliability

Previous studies on Nigerian secondary schools systems have highlighted systemic inefficiencies and variability across different regions. However, these studies often lack rigorous methodological rigor or fail to replicate findings in a consistent manner. The study employs a randomized field trial design where we randomly selected schools from across Nigeria’s diverse regions. Data collection includes standardised tests administered at multiple time points to measure student performance reliability. A notable finding is the significant variation in test scores between urban and rural settings, with an estimated effect size of 0.45 on a scale of 1-5 (where 1 indicates no difference). The study confirms that while there are regional disparities affecting system reliability, these can be quantitatively measured and understood through the use of randomized field trials. Policy makers should prioritise interventions targeting regions with lower test scores to enhance overall system performance. Nigerian secondary schools systems, replication study, systematic evaluation, reliability assessment The empirical specification follows $Y=\beta_0+\beta^\top X+\varepsilon$, and inference is reported with uncertainty-aware statistical criteria.