Impact of the differences in variables in the US and Africa educational ecosystems on the applications of selected existing US guiding theories of change in the institutional transformation of Africa higher institutions

There is growing accomplishment in developing guiding theories of change over the years. The successful application of connecting a change theory and practice, however, depends on the reliability of the variables of the theory. Having been participating in the activities of transforming institutions as well as other bodies advocating inclusion, diversity and equity, it has been observed that there are a number of variables which makes the educational ecosystem of the US to be different from that of Africa represented here by Nigeria. In this current project, five of these variables (Racism/ethnicity, religion, culture, gender and government funding policy) are investigated to determine their impacts on the applicability of selected existing US theories of change in the Nigeria ecosystem. The outcome is that these selected theories need to be modified if they are to be applied as guiding theories of change to effect institutional transformation in the Nigeria ecosystem. In principle, this study will have similar implications for ecosystems in the other African countries as well as other continents in which the aforementioned variables are different from those of the US.