Higher Education for Development Office
Knowledge, Partnerships, Results
___
Institutional Partnerships Program
Semi-Annual Progress Report
Due April 30, 2008
INTRODUCTION
Partnership Title: Advancing Economic Development in Nigeria through Strengthening
Business Management Education and technology Competence
Development Area/Sector of Focus: Capacity Building
U.S. Partner Institution(s): Kansas State University
U.S. Partnership Director(s):
Ike C. Ehie
785 532 6180
iehie@ksu.edu
&
Myra Gordon
785 532 6276
mygordon@ksu.edu
Host Country: NIGERIA
Host Country Partner Institution(s): University of Lagos (UNILAG)
Host Country Partnership Contact(s):
Sola Fajana
234-08023191793
solafajana@yahoo.com
Partnership Web Site (if any): We are currently working on developing a website for the project.
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I. PROGRAM INFORMATION FOR OCTOBER 30, 2007 – APRIL 30, 2008
1. Describe in bullet form the major activities for this partnership during the past 6 months (10/30/07
– 04/30/08).
2. For each of the above activities, describe the results and/or outcomes for each activity; answer in
bullet form if appropriate.
If helpful, instead of answering questions 1 and 2, you may use the following chart for reporting the
activities and outcomes associated with specific partnership objectives. Please feel free to insert
additional lines as needed.



ACTIVITY
Commissioning of computer labs for the

Faculty of Business Administration and the
Department of Computer Science. Of the
total 362 computers, approximately 250 went
to the Faculty of Business Administration
and 112 computers went to the Department
of Computer Science.
OUTCOME
Very significant access to computers for the
students of the UNILAG FBA in a secure,
conducive learning environment; prior to
this, they had no faculty-based access
whatsoever.
Conducted six (6) faculty workshops on use

of case studies, active teaching
methodologies, curriculum development, use
of computers in business, use of Microsoft
Excel in business and the use of Microsoft
PowerPoint for classroom presentations.
The four (4) workgroup leaders were brought 
to Baltimore, Maryland to attend the AACSB
seminars on undergraduate curriculum
development, graduate curriculum
development, and emerging issues in
business. At the end of the conference, the

workgroup leaders were brought to Kansas
State University for follow up meetings with
their K-State counterparts.
Significant capacity-building for the faculty
of FBA in teaching effectiveness and the use
of computers in classroom instruction; prior
to this, there had been no training and little
to no computer utilization in classroom
instruction.
Greatly improved understanding of
international standards for business
management education at the graduate and
undergraduate levels.


Hired and began the training of the Career
Specialist to begin developing career
services in the Faculty of Business
Administration (FBA) at the University of
Lagos (UNILAG). The Career Specialist is
also helping with local arrangements for
inaugurating the Business Advisory Council
which will take place on Tuesday, May 20,
2008.
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
Exposure to best practices in business
management programs, curricular
integration, experimental learning models,
career services, and resources to enhance
teaching effectiveness.
Networking with AACSB conference
attendees, presenters, and KSU faculty and
staff.
Capacity-building at UNILAG to offer
career services to business and CS students.

Awarded four (4) Information Technology
Incentive Grants to FBA faculty to infuse
information technology in business courses.
Areas awarded are: 1) use of spreadsheets to
teach business statistics, 2) spreadsheet
modeling in a Principles of Finance course,
3) use of quantitative models in finance
courses, and 4) use of spreadsheets in
teaching statistical process control.

Providing resources to facilitate the process
of infusing information technology into
business courses that impact a large number
of FBA students.

Planning for the inauguration of the Business
Advisory Council which will take place on
May 20, 2008. The event will mark the first
business advisory council for the University
of Lagos with the sole purpose of connecting
the UNILAG business school with the
private sector.
An Information Technology consultant
traveled to Nigeria to conduct needs analysis,
design layouts for the computer labs and
conduct two (2) workshops on the use of IT
in business management instruction.

Consensus about the vision statement,
objectives, membership criteria, term limits,
size, and initial identification of members
for the FBA Business Advisory Council.


Review of FBA computer needs.
Creation of designs for the FBA and CS
labs.
Creating a sense of urgency about
completing the labs.
Building capacity among FBA and DCS
faculty to teach information technology
applications in business.
Building an understanding of the difference
between teaching and learning.
Unearthing aspects of the teacher-student
relationship in a system modeled after the
British system of higher education that
interfere with student learning.
Having faculty begin to define the overall
learning objectives for the business
management curricula of the FBA.
Identification of many weaknesses
duplications, and inconsistencies in the
curricula.
Identifying ineffective, incomplete work
being done by the existing curriculum
committee of the FBA.
A review and analysis of which courses are
current, which courses need improvement,
and which courses need to be developed.




Developing student learning objectives for
the Faculty of Business Administration.




A systematic review of the FBA curricula.




Working to gain agreement that all courses
will have a comprehensive syllabus and the
form that these syllabi can take.


Working in earnest on business management
case studies by the Innovative Pedagogies

3
Greatly improved organization of and
communication with the students about
course expectations, assignments, schedules,
grading, etc.
Commitment to use more business case
studies in classroom instruction by FBA


Workgroup.
Completing an assessment of the IT
competence of FBA teaching staff.
Beginning to compile an alumni database.


faculty.
Identification of the specific IT training
needs of FBA faculty.
Approximately 200 well placed alumni have
been identified and the work continues.
3. How are the above activities and outcomes reported in questions 1 and 2 benefiting and/or helping to
strengthen the capacity of the host country higher education institution?
The commissioning of the computer labs, although late in coming, has created the opportunity to
begin to infuse technology in teaching some of the business courses. Business faculty members are
currently going through a series of IT trainings and they plan to infuse this knowledge and these
skills in their teaching beginning September 2008 (new academic year).
The training workshops conducted have resulted in changes in the teaching methodology in some of
the courses at the FBA. The innovative pedagogy workgroup has implemented the use of case
studies, one of the most effective teaching methodologies, in teaching business courses.
The workgroup leaders’ visit to the US has resulted in a series of discussions that include
development of a strategic plan for the college. The change management team is actively engaged in
identifying some priority areas that would bring distinction to the faculty. Among the areas being
considered are entrepreneurship, corporate social responsibility, and integrated financial
management.
4. How are the above activities and outcomes from this partnership benefiting and/or helping to
strengthen the capacity of the host country community?
Producing more highly educated business students will help the economic development of the state
and the country as a whole by bringing modern business management to the contemporary Nigerian
workplace. This process is now well-underway.
5. How are these activities and outcomes benefiting the U.S. higher education institutions?
Exchange of ideas between Kansas State University and the University of Lagos enriches the
educational experience of students and faculty in both institutions. For the faculty in the KSU
College of Business who met the Nigerian workgroup leaders, it was the first time they had ever
interacted with people who are their counterparts in Nigeria. Our faculty was very impressed with
the professionalism and expertise of the Nigerian faculty. These direct interactions went a long way
toward mitigating negative stereotypes of Nigerians, imparting information that our faculty can use
in their classrooms, and bringing the multinational business environment in Nigeria to our faculty’s
awareness.
6. How are these activities and outcomes benefiting the larger U.S. community?
The project will expand the knowledge of business practices in Nigeria in particular and Africa in
general among U.S. citizens. The United States needs Nigeria, in particular its oil, and this project
contributes to a more positive business environment for everyone. Additionally, there are over
250,000 Nigerians living in the United States, 64% of whom have one or more university degrees. It
is conceivable that some of these people have been educated at the University of Lagos Faculty of
Business Administration. As we strengthen the program there, we will be better preparing students
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who may end up working in the U.S. or in Nigeria in American owned businesses. Thus, by helping
them, we are helping ourselves in the U.S.
7. List other collaborating host country institutions, e.g., NGOs, community-based organizations,
government agencies, small businesses, education institutions, and briefly describe their involvement
in partnership activities during the past six months.




Ocean Energy – donated 362 microcomputers.
Zinox Computers – retrofitted the computers with the required business software packages.
Microsoft Corporation – provided business software at discounted prices.
British American Tobacco Nigeria – Made a commitment to fund a parallel project aimed at
incorporating corporate social responsibility into the business management curriculum at the
UNILAG Faculty of Business Administration.
8. List other collaborating U.S. institutions, e.g., NGOs, community-based organizations, government
agencies, small businesses, education institutions, and briefly describe their involvement in
partnership activities during the past six months.
None
9. What has been the partnership’s greatest success(es) during the past six months?

Designing and subsequently commissioning the computer labs in the Faculty of Business
Administration and Department of Computer Science.

Developing an alumni database for use in connecting the faculty to the private sector.

Creating the Business Advisory Council which will be inaugurated on May 20, 2008.

Awarding incentive grants to infuse technology in teaching business courses.

Creating a required Information Technology in Business course for all undergraduate
business majors.
10. Describe any programmatic challenges during the past six months.

The six month delay in installing and commissioning the computer labs, was a major
challenge. It took a great deal of planning, prodding, meeting, and design work to finally get
the labs in place. Resources, of course, were an issue. But the lack of coordinated planning
was even more problematic. Now that the labs are in place, we have begun programs and
workshops to address the information technology competencies in the FBA. We have to
teach the faculty to use computer applications in business before they can get this content
into their classes and teach the students.

A heavy teaching schedule is pre-occupying the faculty and leaving them with less time to
focus on the project. We have to find means to reduce the faculty teaching load. They are
very interested in all phases of this project, but they are often completely overwhelmed and
unable to complete project requests and assignments on time.
11. Do you anticipate any major changes to planned activities during the next six months
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While the project is largely on schedule, we have to bring several key project activities from the last
six months forward into the next six months for full development and completion. These activities
include:

Strategic planning for the UNILAG FBA.

Having the private sector clarify its expectations of FBA graduates.

The identification of company-sponsored projects requiring MIS solutions on which students
can work.

Completing the collection of 5 year faculty data, self-assessments, and professional
development plans.

Hiring and training graduate assistants to work with the Career Specialist.

Identifying and coordinating internship placements.

Studying career fair feasibility which will lead to career fair implementation.
Please note: The project did not send a separate set of three faculty (2 FBA; 1CS) to K-State to
engage in collaborative applied research, training, and course re-design as called for in the year 1
workplan. Instead, we sent the larger delegation of work group leaders to the AACSB conference in
Baltimore, Maryland and then brought them to K-State. We took the additional costs needed to send
all the work group leaders to the U.S. from the money we budgeted to spend on the second, separate
group.
Also, please note that it has become abundantly clear that both project directors are needed each time
a visit to Nigeria takes place. There is a massive amount of work to be done in relatively short
periods of time on ground, and it takes both of us working a heavy schedule from the day we arrive
to the day we leave to get enough work done to maintain the momentum of the project and position
it to continue in our absence.
12. Outline your partnership’s planned activities for the next six months.






Inauguration of the Business Advisory Council.
Developing and offering career building workshops for students.
Launching the distinguished executive and alumni lecture series.
Revising and developing courses in the curriculum in alignment with international standards
and employer expectations.
Awarding faculty incentive and faculty development grants based on the critical evaluation
of proposals.
Implementation of career fairs and career skills-building workshops.
13. Overall, activities for this partnership are:
___x__on schedule (Re-planning and repositioning by the project directors has enabled us to keep
the project largely on schedule. The University of Lagos and the FBA are very complex, political
organizations that demand a high degree of flexibility, patience, and cultural competence from the
project directors in order to achieve project outcomes.)
_____ahead of schedule
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_____behind schedule
Please comment:
14. How has information about your partnership been disseminated during this reporting period?



Publication of the work group leaders visit in the Manhattan Mercury, a Manhattan, Kansas
daily newspaper (see enclosure).
Publication in the Guardian, a leading daily newspaper in Nigeria (see enclosure).
Publication in the College of Business Administration, Kansas State University fall/winter
2007-2008 Magazine disseminated throughout the United States.
If appropriate, please provide HED with samples of the following as attachments to this report:




Photographs that may be used in future HED publications (enclose prints or a CD-ROM with
high resolution images);
Articles published in the campus, local, national, or international media;
Papers published or presented;
Features in any other media.
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II. QUANTITATIVE INFORMATION
TABLE 1. Participant Information
Please provide appropriate numbers to support the following activities for this reporting period (10/30-2007 – 04/30/2008). See
Progress Report Glossary for definitions. NB: To avoid double counting, report only new participant numbers for this reporting
period.
ACTIVITY
New activities for
this reporting period
NUMBER OF MEN*
Faculty,
Admin.
Students
25 yrs
&
under*
Number of HCNs receiving
new non-degree training
this reporting period-workshops, seminars,
special classes (not
internships):
26 yrs.
&
older*
DATES OF
ACTIVITY
NUMBER OF WOMEN*
Other
25 yrs
&
under*
Faculty,
Admin.
26 yrs.
&
older*
Students
25 yrs
&
under*
26 yrs.
&
older*
LOCATION
Other
25 yrs
&
under*
26 yrs.
&
older*
Attend Association of
Baltimore,
Advance Collegiate
Maryland
Schools of Business(November 15
AACSB Conference on
through 17) &
Curriculum Improvement
Manhattan,
&
Kansas
Visited to Kansas State
(November 18
University (Home
through 21, 2007)
Institution)
Description of training: Attended the AACSB conference on Undergraduate Business Program Conference, Graduate Business Program Conference, and Emerging Business Curriculum
Conference (November 15-17, 2007) in Baltimore, Maryland and Visit Kansas State University, College of Business Administration (November 18-21, 2007) in Manhattan, Kansas.
4
4
0
*U.S. Government reports often require participants be described by gender (male or female), and by “estimated” age—youth (25 years and under) or adult (26
years and older).
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TABLE 2. Contributions made this reporting period (10/30/07 – 04/30/08)
CONTRIBUTIONS
Name/Source of
Contribution
Description of Contribution
Estimated
U.S. Dollar
Value of
Contribution
Other leveraged contributions
not reported as official or
proposed cost share
TABLE 3. Strengthening Institutional Capacity
Please describe how any of the following capacity strengthening activities are a result of your partnership work at the HCN institution
during this reporting period (10/30/07 – 04/30/08).
ACTIVITY
Adapted/changed curricula
Improved methods of instruction
Collaborative research undertaken
Collaborative publication prepared
New academic programs established
this reporting period as part of the
New IDEAS Partnership
Promoted workforce development
Involved in community outreach
Supported increased trade capacity
Informed policy at institutional,
community, and/or national levels
Consulted with government agencies,
NGO group, and/or private sector
groups
Other:
Description
Work in progress
Work in progress
Work in progress
The project co-directors and the career specialist have been visiting and
building relationships with a broad range of private sector entities.
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III. PARTNERSHIP PROFILE
a) Please provide a one-paragraph profile of your higher education partnership as described in the partnership sub-agreement.
This profile piece will provide us with valuable information for reports to USAID and to the higher education community—
critical material for verbal discussions, printed reports, and on-line publications. The profile should include:
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION, WORKPLAN, AND DETAILED BUDGET
Kansas State University (KSU) and the University of Lagos (UNILAG) are collaborating to bolster UNILAG’s capacity to provide
high-quality, private and public sector-relevant courses for undergraduate and graduate students in the Faculty of Business
Administration (FBA). In addition to business curriculum development, the partners will revise and update the computer science
curriculum for FBA students. By working closely with UNILAG’s Department of Computer Science (DCS), they are placing
particular emphasis on ensuring that the business students attain solid computer skills. The partnership project will entail six primary
components, each to be addressed by a work group: Change Management; Curriculum/Assurance of Learning; Innovative Pedagogies;
Faculty Enhancement; Private Sector Engagement; and Career Services.
Anticipated partnership outputs include: an assessment of both undergraduate and graduate (MBA) business student training needs;
development and implementation of a revised undergraduate and graduate business curriculum, with a strong information technology
emphasis; an assessment of computer competency needs of the FBA; a new UNILAG business alumni database; a new private sector
database for UNILAG business programs; institutionalization of faculty improvement into the FBA and DCS curricula; assessment
plans for academic quality assurance; establishment of a Business Advisory Council and subcommittees; improved job search skills
for both FBA and DCS students; career fairs for both FBA and DCS students; broader and stronger private sector engagements; and
greater administrative accountability.
b) Please include one success story related to your partnership.
c) Optional: include a second success story or lessons learned story.
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Commissioning of the UNILAG Faculty of Business Administration (FBA) Computer Lab. At the center is
the Consulate General, Ms. Donna Blair, Dean of the Faculty of Business Administration, Professor Eddy
Omolehinwa (right), and Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Professor Tolu Odegbemi (left)
11
Demonstration of business applications on the computer by Ms Vivian Abii, Executive Director, Zinox
Technologies. Seated at the computers are VC of UNILAG, Professor Tolu Odugbemi and Consulate
General, Ms. Donna Blair. Bystanders are private sector partners, representatives from USAID/Nigeria and
faculty and staff of UNILAG.
12
Display of the computers in one of the FBA computer labs
13
Project Directors Drs. Myra Gordon and Ike Ehie and Project Consultant Dr.
Wayne Nafziger have a tour of the FBA computer lab.
14
Dr. Wayne Nafziger, Project Consultant giving a lecture to MBA students in a
graduate-level Economics class.
15
Project Directors, Drs. Ike Ehie and Myra Gordon having a meeting with the
Change Management Team
16
Faculty workshop on Active Teaching Methodologies conducted
by Dr. Myra Gordon, Project Director
17
Faculty workshop on the use of Microsoft PowerPoint as a presentation tool conducted
by Dr. Ike Ehie, Project Director
18
19
20
21
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