In 2007, Kwara State in Nigeria embarked on a process of college of education reform. This article explores the strategic and managerial issues associated with that process. It sets out the policy imperative for reform within the context of an urgent need to improve the quality of education in Nigeria and traces progress over a four year period, drawing upon experience at both the Ministry of Education and college level. The article analyses the impact of what was a "top-down" initiative, focusing in particular on the policy formulation process; the experience of developing an institutional plan; and the factors that made reform such a management challenge. The article concludes by highlighting lessons that might be learned from the Kwara experience.