The Challenges of Public Administration Good Governance and Service Delivery in The 21st Century

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The Challenges of Public Administration, Good Governance and

Service Delivery in the 21st Century
Article in International Journal of Civic Engagement and Social Change · April 2015
DOI: 10.4018/IJCESC.2015040104
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International Journal of Civic Engagement and Social Change, 2(2), 53-66, April-June 2015 53
The Challenges of Public

Administration, Good
Governance and Service
Delivery in the 21st Century
Essien D. Essien, University of Uyo, Uyo, Nigeria
ABSTRACT
Contemporary studies on public administration in Nigeria have revealed two dramatic findings. First, despite
the moderate achievements in democratic governance and being rich in natural and human resources, there
remain many politico-administrative challenges to be addressed in Nigeria. Second, ailing public adminis-
tration has resulted in disturbing socio-economic indicators which are among the worst in the world. This
paper examines the challenges of public administration for effective service delivery and good governance
in Nigeria. The paper employs descriptive method of research and content analysis which is anchored on
‘efficiency theory’ to examine the subject matter. Findings reveal that, notwithstanding the dramatic admin-
istrative reforms, citizen’s confidence in government service is near an historic low because of poor service
delivery and exclusionary policies. The paper submits that the label of poor performance and absence of
excellence in the public service has the tendency to undermine development and good governance in Nigeria.
Keywords: Development, Excellence, Exclusionary Policies, Good Governance, Management Challenges,

Nigeria, Public Administration, Public Sector, Service Delivery
INTRODUCTION
Despite the disturbing socio-economic indicators facing Africa today, there is an increasingly
broadly-held conviction that efforts toward modernizing African States cannot succeed unless
they are equipped with public administrations that are geared toward meeting the new chal-
lenges of economic and social development (Ajayi, 2008). This is why administrative actions
and modalities of government operation continue to be the object of criticism both by users and
by civil society. It lends credence to the fact that the organization, role and missions of public
administrations must in fact be reviewed and adapted to the political, economic and social context
of African States, which has changed considerably over the last decade (Anazodo, 2009). In that
regard, public administrations in many countries in Africa such as Nigeria are today faced with
DOI: 10.4018/IJCESC.2015040104
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54 International Journal of Civic Engagement and Social Change, 2(2), 53-66, April-June 2015
the question of determining what their contribution should be toward resolving social problems
in areas such as employment, health, power supply, education, housing and leisure (Ibori, 2014).
In all of these areas, they are expected to be innovative, to improve the quality of the services
they provide and to upgrade their managerial skills in order to better respond to the aspirations of
the population. Although public administration has been on the public stage for many decades now,
the recent attention, interest and criticism it is receiving is not unconnected with the link between
governance and its effect on performance, success as well as service delivery (Anazodo, 2009).
However in Nigeria, public administration has had a chequered history resulting into scandals
including fraud, abuse of power, governance failure and evasion of accountability among others.
This has resulted into public sector reforms, as part of a broader initiative to improve service
delivery, decision making, planning, accountability and monitoring which has also received
substantial attention, interest and criticism in the past (Achimugu, 2010).
Nonetheless, while the idea of good governance is an encumbered concept requiring due
consideration (Ajayi, 2008), it is intertwined with the challenges of public administration to-
ward improving governance. Perhaps for good governance and public sector transformation to
be achieved, public administration and public sector entities need to have an applied strategy to
achieve results and outcomes (Ayeni, 2002). Nevertheless, the Nigerian public administration
system has experienced a significant transformation to secure its position of importance in the
general discourse on governance. This effort has occurred amidst streams of political develop-
ments that has brought the system into sharp focus and relevance. This however, has been very
challenging to the public service as well as providing a platform for new policy direction and
scholarship. For instance, growing literature on the collapse of probity and good governance
in Nigeria has revealed that public service is severely scored down on its failure to provide the
required institutional grounding for good governance (Aderonmu, 2011).
This paper therefore examines the challenges encountered by the Nigerian public administra-
tion toward efficient service delivery and good governance using descriptive methodology and
content analysis. It evaluates the dilemma of public administration, effective service delivery
and good governance in Nigeria and demonstrates that the critical point in achieving meaningful
developments in the country intrinsically lay with improved public service which translates into
efficient service delivery in the public sector. This is an attempt toward employing a new pathway
to advances in the public administration of the Nigeria. It will also demonstrate that the critical
point in achieving meaningful developments in the country in the 21st century intrinsically lay
with improved service delivery in the public sector. The paper proffers meaningful suggestions
toward possible future considerations for improved publics administration, service delivery and
good governance in Nigeria.
Conceptual Clarification
1. Public Administration: Public administration has no generally accepted definition. This

is because the scope of the subject is so great and so debatable that it is easier to explain
than define. Public administration is therefore a field of study, that is, a discipline and an
occupation. Public administration, by extension has been defined as the putting together of
human and material resources in order to achieve the objectives of public policy (Eme &
Ede, 2007). Administrative activities can take place in a variety of settings, provided the
crucial elements are present such as the cooperation of human beings to perform tasks that
have been mutually accepted as worthy of the joint effort (Eme & Ede, 2007). The insti-
tutional framework in which administration occurs may be as diverse as business firms,
labour unions, churches, educational institutions or governmental units. Public administra-
tion is that sector of administration found in a political setting, concerned primarily with
the implementation of public policy. According to P. Evans (1995), public administration
consists of all operations which have as its purpose the fulfillment or enforcement of pub-
lic policy. This explains why Mark Grindle (2004) asserts that public administration is the
activities that involve the executive branch of government. On their part, Hyden, Court and
Mease see public administration as the area of study and practice where law and policy is
recommended and carried out (2005). Therefore, public administration refers to both the
activities concerned with the management of government business as well as the study of
those activities;
2. Public Service Delivery: Service delivery is a comprehensive concept. In the context of
governance, public service delivery is the result of the intentions, decision of government
and government institutions, and the actions undertaken and decision made by people em-
ployed in government institutions (Jike, 2003). Service delivery has an impact on human
development directly if it is delivered to people in the form of basic services such as educa-
tion, health and water and sanitation which contribute to promoting human development.
According to Nash and Nash (2003), effective service delivery entails the provision of basic
social services and amenities to the citizenry in such a way that their expectations are met
or exceeded while at the same time the business of governance remains viable. Effective
service delivery therefore is rendering services that correspond to the citizen’s desires, needs
and expectations. This conception emanates from the perceived need to treat members of
the public that require government services like a private-sector entrepreneur would treat
his/her customers.
This is against the backdrop that a major obstacle to efficient and effective delivery of
government services is the attitude of public servants to members of the public who are their
customers (Kaufmann, 2003). Describing the requirements of the access principle for effective
public service delivery, Mbabazi and Tylor (2005) explains that all citizens should have equal
access to the services to which they are entitled. The openness and transparency principle has
it that citizens should be told how national, states, local governments departments are run, how
much they cost, and who is in charge. Public service delivery is commonly understood to mean the
provision of public goods or social, economic, and/or infrastructural services such as education,
health, grants, water and electricity etc. to the citizens who needs them or have demand for them.
Service Delivery and Good Governance in Nigeria
Improving public service delivery is one of the biggest challenges worldwide. Public services
are key determinant of quality of life, not measured in per capita income. They are also an
important plank of poverty reduction strategy. It is a particular challenge in Nigeria, given
the low quality of service provisions and the pressing needs of the poor (Hanekom, 1986). In
this context, accountability of public officials has been explored as a means of strengthening
incentives of public providers for improved service delivery (Heidenheimer, 1970). But the
question is how accountable are public officials for the delivery of public services in Nigeria?
This paper attempts to answer this question by providing evidence from Nigeria on the issue of
accountability and good governance for the delivery of basic services to citizen. In this regard,
accountability in service delivery is conceived of as processes through which communities and
households can hold public service providers responsible for the adequacy and effectiveness of
the services they offer (Achimugu, Stephen, & Aliyu, 2013). According to World Bank study of
sub-Sahara Africa (SSA), “The problem of Africa’s Development is a crisis of governance; the
study affirms that because of the countervailing power that has been lacking, state officials in
many countries including Nigeria have served their own interests without fear of being called to
account (Lawal & Owolabi, 2012). In the views of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the former Chairman
of Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crime Cocmmission (EFCC), over $400 billion that had
been looted from the Commonwealth by the leaders is “six times the total value of resources
committed to rebuilding Western Europe after the Second World War (Ademola, 2011). This
can be exemplified by the amount of money looted from the country’s treasury from it leaders
and public officers (see Table 1).
Accountability is a fundamental but under-developed concept in Nigerian public administration.
Since independence, Nigeria has formulated various legal instruments and established a number
of watchdog institutions such as Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), Independent
Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Code of Conduct Bureau etc., all
meant for regulating and monitoring the ethical behaviour of its public officials in order to achieve
accountability. But suffice it to say that the recurring decimal in the exposition of Nigeria’s develop-
ment dilemma is the recognition of corruption as the most imposing albatross. Almost all facets of
the Nigerian economy are haunted by the spectre of corruption (Fatile, 2012) (see Table 2).
Table 1. Looted money from past public officials discovered in foreign banks 1985-1998
Names of Depositors London Swiss USA Germany

GEN. IBRAHIM BABANGIDA £6.256b $7.41b $2.00b DM 9.00b
GEN. ABUBAKAR £1.31b $2.33b $8.00m DM 1b
REAR A. MIKE AKHIGBE £1.24b $2.42b $671m DM 900m
GEN. JERRY USENI £3.046b $2.01b $1.01b DM 700m
ALHAJI ISMAILA GWARZO £1.03b $2.00b $1.30b DM 345m
ALHAJI UMARU DIKKO £4.5b $1.4b $700m DM 500m
PAUL OGUWMA £300m $1.42b $200m DM 3.01m
GEN. SANI ABACHA £5.01b $4.09b $800m DM 535m
MOHAMMED ABACHA £300m $1.2b $139m DM 471m
ABDUKADIR ABACHA £700m $1.21b $900m DM 300m
ALHAJI WADA NAS £600m $1.32b —– DM 371m
TOM IKIMI £400m $1.39b $133m DM 371m
DAN ETETE £1.12b $1.03b $400m DM 1.72m
DON ETIEBET £2.5b $1.06b $700m DM 361m
MAJ. AL – MUSTAPHA £600m $1.001b —– DM 210m
ANTHONY ANI £2.9b $1.09b $360m DM 1.66b
BASHIR DALHATU £2.3b $1.001b $161m DM 1.43b
GEN. WASHISHI £700m $1.301b —– —–
ALHAJI HASSAN ADAMU £300m $200m $700m —–
T.Y DANJUMA £1.36b $1.02b $300m DM 190m
GEN. ISHAYA BAMAIYI £120m $800m —– —–
Sources: London Times
Table 2. Portrait of corruption with public servants in Nigeria 1999-2007
Ayo Fayose (former Governor of Case pending,

1 Arraigned on 51 counts N1.2 billion
Ekiti State) granted bail
Adenike, Grange (former Minister Discharged and
2 Arraigned on 56 counts N300 million
of Health) Acquitted
Case pending,
Joshua Dariye (former Governor
3 Arraigned on 23 counts N700 million Granted bail since
Plateau state)
2007
Case pending,
Saminu Turaki (former Governor
4 Arraigned on 32 counts N36 billion Granted bail since
Jigawa state)
2007
Case pending,
Oji Uzor Kalu (former Governor Arraigned on 107 state
5 N5 billion Granted bail since
Abia state) counts
2008
Case pending,
James Ibori (former Governor Delta
6 Arraigned on 170 counts N9.2 billion Granted bail since
state)
2008
Case pending,
Arraigned on 56 state
7 Iyabo Obasanjo (former Senator) N10 million Granted bail since
counts
2008
Case determined,
LuckyIgbinedion (former Governor Arraigned on 191 state
8 N4.3 billion ordered to pay $25
of Edo state) counts
million as fine
Gabriel Aduku (former Minister of Arraigned on 56 state Discharged and
9 N300 million
Health) counts acquitted
Case pending,
Jolly Nyame (former Governor of Arraigned on 41 state
10 N1.3 billion Granted bail since
Taraba state) counts
2008
Case pending,
Chimaroke Nnamani (former Arraigned on 105 state
Governor of Enugu state) counts
2007
Case pending,
Michael Botmang (former Governor Arraigned on 31 state
of Plateau state) counts
2008
Case pending,
Roland Iyayi (former MD of Arraigned on 11 state
FAAN) counts
2008
Case pending,
Prof. Babalola Borishade (former Arraigned on 11 state
Minister of Aviation) counts
2008
Case pending,
Boni Haruna (former Governor of Arraigned on 28 state
15 N254 million Granted bail by
Adamawa state) counts
court since 2008
Case pending,
Femi Fanikayode (former Governor Arraigned on 47 state
16 N250 million Granted bail since
of Adamawa state) counts
2008
Arraigned on 68 state Jailed in October
17 Bode George (PDP Chieftain) N100 billion
counts 2009
continued on following page
Table 2. Continued
Case pending,
Rasheed Ladoja (former Governor Arraigned on 33 state
18 N6 billion Granted bail since
of Oyo state) counts
2008
Case pending,
Senator Nichola Ugbane; Hon. Arraigned on 158 state
Elumelu and others counts
2009
Case pending,
Hamman Bello Hammed (Ex CG Arraigned on 46 state
Customs) counts
2009
Case pending,
Adamu Abdullahi (former Governor Arraigned on 149 count
21 N15 billion Suspect on court
of Nasarawa state) charge
bail
Case pending,
Attahiru Bafarawa (former Arraigned on 47 count
22 N15 billion Granted bail by
Governor of Sokoto state) charge
court
Case pending,
Hassan Lawal (former Minister of Arraigned on 37 count
23 N75 billion Granted bail by
Works) charge
court
Case pending,
Kenny Martins (Police Equipment
24 28 count charge N7,740 billion Granted bail since
Fund)
2008
Esai Dangabar, Atiku Abubakar
Kigo, Ahmed Inuwa Wada, John Case pending,
25 Yakubu Yusufu, Mrs. Veronica 16 count charge N32.8 billion Granted bail by
Ulonma Onyegbula and Sani Habila court
Zira
Source: Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) cited in Mohammed 2013:130-131
For poor and marginalized communities and households, public accountability can be achieved
through giving them both voice and suffrage; for policymakers, accountability can be demanded
through the social compact in which governments assist, finance and regulate providers of health
care, nutrition and environmental health services (Kamto, 2000).
In Nigeria, the level of accountability among public officials in the management of public
affairs has consistently declined since independence. The rate of annual economic growth of
the country has generally declined over the period. At the same time, the efficient and effective
delivery of public service to the ordinary citizen has continuously deteriorated. A combination
of these two factors has resulted in widespread unemployment and poverty in the country. A
recurring decimal in the exposition of Nigeria’s development dilemma is the recognition of cor-
ruption as the most imposing albatross. Almost all facets of the Nigerian economy are haunted
by the spectre of corruption Kamto, 2000). Corruption is the single most potent impediment to
Nigeria’s development. There is discernible trajectory in the mutation of corruption. The intensity
of corruption in Nigeria is proportionally correlated to the epochal transmutation of its productive
forces: from a bouquet of cash crops to oil economy. The fact that the new democratic leadership
had to rely on political power as the means of creating their economic base is a fact of immense
significance (Kernaghan, 2007).
It unfortunately created a tendency to make political power the means of accumulation
(Kernaghan, 2008). It was this use of political power to create wealth by the ruling class in the
period following independence that spawned corruption, divisive tendencies and clannishness
culminating to the Nigerian civil war in 1967. This attitude is however, symptomatic to the ob-
jectionable revelations at the recent probes into the Power Sector, Energy sector, and the Nigerian
National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) which exposes a can of worms in these public institution
regarding accountability and transparency. Other sectors of the Nigerian public service are not
exempted. For example, in the Punch newspaper of Sunday, 4th May 2008, a top official of the
Federal Ministry of Agriculture claimed that Nigeria lost 22.2 billion naira in Fertilizer scam
between 2001 and 2007 (Kernaghan, 2009) has identified the causes of poor service delivery in
Nigeria as inadequate resources, management and misappropriation of funds, inadequate mo-
tivation of staff, lack of technical competence, use of obsolete and outdated technology, undue
government interference and corruption. Kligaard (2008) suggests additional factors as nepo-
tism, bureau-pathologies, poor infrastructural facilities, tribalism, favouritism, federal character
principle, the poor attitude of staff to government work, and bad human resources management.
The most embarrassing of these is corruption.
Due to widespread corruption, abuse of office and the general deterioration of other ethical
standards in the country, one is likely to assume that there is no control mechanism that could
be used to enforce accountability. Yet this is not the case. Nigeria has many legal and quasi-legal
instruments and other watchdog institution specifically formulated and designed for controlling
public service ethics. Despite this fact, public accountability constantly deteriorates as we have
seen. Generally, it is acknowledged that virtually all the unethical practices such as bribery and
corruption, patronage, reposition, embezzlement, influence peddling, the use of one’s position
for self-enrichment, bestowing of favours on relatives and friends, moonlighting, late coming to
work, abuse of public property, and the leakage and/or misuse of government information that
constitute the lack of accountability in public administration and governance which currently
characterise the country’s public service ((Klitgaard, 2008).
The challenges of public service delivery in Nigeria are surmountable, but to overcome
them and lay the foundation for a lasting development, the federal government should maintain
peace and stability, which is precondition for rebuilding confidence and providing security to
the society and investors, both national and foreign. For a meaningful, impact-felt public service
delivery to be successfully carried out in Nigeria, it must put into consideration the behavioural
pattern, the social context, as well as cultural milieu of the people whom the service is meant
for, together with the vehicle of the delivery of services. This means that there is need to exploit
indigenous knowledge in carrying out any required services in the public sector (Ikotun, 2004).
In order to bring sanity back to Nigerian public service, all the unprofessional tendencies
such as ethnicity and nepotism in appointments and promotions, lack of security of tenure and
appointment of non-career public servants into key positions in the public service should be
stopped. This would discourage public servants who are tempted to abuse their public offices
due to frustrations not to do so (Lawal & Tobi, 2006).
Problems of Effective Public Administration, Good

Governance and Public Service Delivery in Nigeria
Public administration lies at the heart of every modern state. It is a recognized fact that it plays
crucial role in all societies whether developed or developing. In modern state, public adminis-
tration has become so important that the development, upliftment and progress depend mainly
upon its efficient functioning. The role of the public service in achieving good governance
cannot be underestimated. This can be gleaned from the central role it plays in the formulation
and implementation of policies designed for the development of the society (Lawal & Owolabi,
2012). However, in Nigeria, the role of public service has come under severe criticisms within
the context of the gap that exists between its anticipated role and its actual output. The public
service in Nigeria is today viewed as an avenue for sharing the “national cake” among the major
ethnic groups. Hence, the unending demands for fragmentation of governmental structure into
units, ministries, and departments etc. (Onuoha, 2005). Painfully though, these fragmentations
are carried out in spite of the obvious difficulties in sustaining the existing ones (Kaufmann &
Kraay, 2002). The situation is further aggravated by the public perception that the public service
is amoral, hence, it should be plundered to sustain individual, community and ethnic survival or
other primordial grouping interest.
This standpoint manifests itself in different forms of corruption in the Nigerian Public ser-
vice. Corruption is perhaps the greatest bane of the Nigerian public service. It is so endemic that
merit has no place in the Nigerian public service. Instead of merit, it is quota that is considered.
The public sector no doubt is responsible for about 80% of the vices that gives Nigeria a very
bad image as well as her very high world corruption ranking. There are numerous examples of
top public officials in Nigeria who plunder the nation’s treasury in multi millions and they were
applauded by their people. A very good example occurs in 2004, when the former Inspector
General of Police, Tafa Balogun was convicted of corruption. Though his salary was not more
than $25,000 per month, he had assets in Nigeria worth $150 million and a foreign Bank account
worth $6.7 million (Nwosor, 2011). In the same vein, the 2008 Corruption Perception Index (CPI)
released by the Transparency International revealed that the country was rated 121 out of 180
countries surveyed. Similarly, the Transparency International’s (TI) 2011 Corruption Perception
Index also indicates that “the vast majority of the 182 countries and territories assessed score
below five on a scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 10 (very clean)”.
In the report, Nigeria took the 143rd place to stand as the 39th most corrupt country among
the nations of the world. In 2012, the TI also ranked Nigeria as the 35th most corrupt nation in
the world. Thus, according to the report, Nigeria scored 27 percent and placed 139th out of about
174 countries surveyed worldwide. Nigeria therefore shared the same position with such countries
as Azerbajan, Kenya, Nepal and Pakistan which are also steeped in corruption. Statistics shows
that on the scale of 10.0, Nigeria for 15 years scored 1.6 in 1999; 1.2 in 2000; 1.0 in 2001; 1.6 in
2002; 1.4 in 2003; 1.6 in 2004; 1.9 in 2005; 2.2 in 2006; 2.2 in 2007; 2.7 in 2008; 2.7 in 2009;
2.7 in 2010; 2.6 in 2011, 2.8 in 2012; and 2.7 in 2013 (TI, 2013, Mohammed, 2013) (see Table 3).
The tables above have shown that those who are employed in the public service are supposed
to devote their attention to the promotion of the general welfare of the populace and not to their
personal aggrandizement. But contrary to this standpoint, public administration in Nigeria faces an
interesting paradox. This is because the modern history of Nigeria is a troubled one characterized
by bad governance and poor public service delivery, political despair and disappointment, which
hitherto typify ineffective public administration. Nigeria’s record in improving governance no
doubt remains, at best, a mix bag. With about 175 million people, Nigeria is ranked 4th in global
oil supply outages, 8th largest oil exporter of crude oil, it occupies a landmass of 923,769 square
kilometers, but surprisingly accounts for only 0.84% of global output of the world economy
(Lawton, 2002). Regrettably, Nigeria harbours one of the highest stocks of the world’s poorest
people (Mitel, 2007). These indices clearly indicate that there is something fundamentally wrong
with governance and public administration in Nigeria. This has undoubtedly manifested in pre-
dicaments such as the absence of purposeful leadership, corruption, inefficient service delivery
and nepotism as some of obstacles that stand in the way of good governance and functional
public service delivery in Nigeria. There is no doubt that available evidence clearly indicates
Table 3. High profile corruption scandal involving Nigerian public servant/office holders 1999-2015
Action Taken on
S/N Name Case Status Amount Involved
Suspect
Tried and sentenced
Arraigned for stealing
1 John Yusuf, N27.2billion only two-year jail
Police pension fund
term or N750 fine
Arraigned at Code of
Bukola Saraki (President of Corruption and false
2 N10 billion Conduct Tribunal on
the Nigerian Senate) declaration of assets
a 13-count charge
Patricia Etteh (former
Used by the Speaker to
2 Speaker Nigeria House of N71.895 million Not Charged
furnish her Residence
Representative)
Bought 2 bullet proof
Ms. Stella Oduah (former
3 cars for her use as a $1.6m (N255m) Not charged
Minister of Aviation)
minister
Abdulrasheed Maina
4 (Chairman of Pension Reform Looted pension fund N195billion Not prosecuted
Task Team)
5 NNPC Kerosene subsidy scam Billions of Naira Not prosecuted
Oil proceeds not remitted Missing N20billion
6 NNPC Not prosecuted
to state Naira oil money
Anonymous government Private jet/arms purchase
7 $15million Not prosecuted
officials scandal
Abba Morro (former Minister Immigration recruitment
8 Billions of naira Not prosecuted
of Interior) Scandal
Dan Etete (former Petroleum
8 Malabu Oil Scandal $1.1 billion Not prosecuted
minister)
Ekiti gate – leaked tape
9 Top government officials Not prosecuted
election scandal
caught on tape collecting
Farouk Lawan (House of $620,000 out of a
10 bribe while investigating Not prosecuted
Representative member) $3 million
fuel subsidy scam
Source: Premium Times, Nigeria
that the performance of the public service in Nigeria in virtually all tiers of government as well
as in the extra-ministerial departments has remained very appalling and discouraging, hence
the present state of underdevelopment (Van de Walle, 2005). The extremely bad performance
of parastatals and agencies of the Nigerian government as exemplified in the former National
Electric Power Authority (NEPA), now Power Holding of Nigeria which has been sold to some
corrupt individuals under the guise of neoliberalism shows how putrefied public administration
is in Nigeria. For instance, one cannot explain how China can spend 25 billion USD to build
the world biggest hydroelectric plant that produces 22,000 megawatts of power while Nigeria
spent 35.45 billion USD to produce only 2500 megawatts of power for nine years (Onohaebi
and Lawal, 2010). Nigeria cannot boast of a steady or uninterrupted power supply in spite of
billions of naira spent on this establishment. This in effect, has slowed down the process of
socio-economic and political development of Nigeria (World Bank, 2001).
The Challenges of Public Administration in Nigeria
The most compelling challenge that stares Nigeria straight in the faces today is the question of
sustainable development and growth. Despite the abundant human and natural resources mani-
fest in a population of over 175 million hard working and very resilient people, a land mass
of nearly one million square kilometers that hold great potentials for all forms of agriculture,
the 7th largest producer of crude oil, the world’s 5th largest proven natural gas reserve and a
plethora of solid minerals, the search for aptness in government and governance that is oriented
toward development, the common good and wellbeing of the people has not only been elusive
but become something of a scandal and simply ironic (TI, 2012). The truth of the matter is that
the practice and discipline of public administration in Nigeria is beclouded by problems which
are internal (self-inflicted), such as indiscipline, poor work content, idleness, redundancy, unex-
plained absence, and corridor congregation, financial dishonesty and corruption with almost total
impunity as well as external (environmentally induced) problems such as political interference,
bureaucratic values of impersonality which conflict with societal values, deficiencies in account-
ing and budgetary system, over-staffing, and the problem of basic working facilities (Achimugu,
Stephen, and Aliyu, 2013). These problems impact negatively on public institutions and in the
employees of government such that what is demanded from government by the citizens becomes
a far cry (Ibori, 2014; Ozuhu-Suleiman, 2013).
It is doubtful, judging by either historical antecedents or contemporary realities that it is
possible to achieve meaningful national development without public administration playing
its rightful role effectively, and the reason is not farfetched; public administration is that unit
of political governance that implements the policies programmes and plans of government. As
such, leaving public administration out of the process of national development is like attempting
to send a message in the absence of the messenger. Unfortunately, the problem with Nigeria is
not the absence of the messenger which is public administration, but that of impediments that
seems to incapacitate it and thereby suffocating the process of governance (Ozuhu-Suleiman,
2013). The challenges of how the state or government can be transformed into an effective and
efficient vehicle for promoting good governance, service delivery, and attaining sustainable
human development are so numerous and underpin copious interrogations. Other challenges
which have culminated into poor service delivery and unprofessional administration in the public
service in Nigeria are as follows:
1. Disproportionate Stringency: The Nigerian public service is characterized by gross inflex-

ibility. There is a tendency toward clinging tenaciously to baseless routines and absolate
laws and procedures. This is what is popularly referred to as “red tapeism”. One of the major
impediments to quick action can be traced to excessive layering of routines and procedures.
In the Nigerian civil service, a file has to work its way through the various departmental
levels. The customary procedure requires that it begins all over again at the lowest clerical
level, proceeding for notations through the various secretarial ranks up to the permanent
secretary’s desk (Odhiambo-Mbai, 2003). In this process, procedural sluggishness and dilatory
tactics are employed which creates bottlenecks. Inflexibility not only stifles innovation, it
also leads to waste of time and delay in the implementation of public policies. Good service
delivery, growth and national development require a whole lot of innovative thinking and
proactive actions. This is why scholars maintain that innovative behaviour requires an ap-
preciable amount of flexibility and willingness to bend formal procedures to meet the task
at hand. It is clear that Nigeria public administration falls far below this vital requirement
in this regard (Okpala, 2012);
2. Poor Remuneration: The inadequacy of public sector salaries contributes greatly to unethi-
cal behaviour. Ensuring living wages is crucial to public sector efficiency and effectiveness.
The wages and salaries of carrier public servants in Nigeria is alarmingly low and has in
fact continued to decline over the years especially due to a high rate of inflation and other
causes. Public Servants in Nigeria are poorly paid. Most of them earn just a little in the face
of rising inflation brought about by deregulation policies of government (Ola & Effiong,
1999). Because of this state of affairs, many have resorted to multiple job-holding in the
informal sector, thereby impacting negatively on their attitude and commitment to work.
When compared with the private sector in Nigeria and the public services of other countries
in sub-Saharan African, Nigeria’s public service remuneration continues to trail behind oth-
ers. Currently, minimum wage in Nigeria is N18, 000, that is about $120 a month. The so
called minimum wage is a far cry from being a living wage for public servants who could
only survive on the said wage for one week.
This is why public officials who have funds allocated to them other than salaries misapply
and embezzle such funds. This situation leaves the average Nigerian public servant demoralized,
angry and ready to indulge in corrupt/sharp practices at the slightest opportunity. This disposition
in effect breads low productivity, while it suffocates national development (Mitel, 2007). It is
therefore essential, for public servants and the public at large to understand fully the rationale
behind any major public sector pay raises, and for them to appreciate that, together with the
benefit of higher pay, comes the responsibility of enhanced accountability:
3. Deprived Motivation: Promotion in Nigeria Civil Service which is supposed to be based

on seniority and productivity is circumvented by political consideration and nepotism.
Rules for promotion fail to differentiate between productive and non-productive workers.
Dismissal is uncommon except due to the prevalence of corruption and administrative bottle
necks. As regards personnel qualifications, workers entering the Civil Service through the
use of political or family influence may lack the required technical skills for their positions.
Besides, on- the-job training programmes are weak and ineffective (Muhammed, 2013). In
theory, positions are supposed to be filled based on merit but in practice, political, family,
ethnic and religious considerations are important factors in Civil Service appointment;
4. The Federal Character Principle: In an attempt to address the nation’s diversities and the
multi-ethnic character, the 1979 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and subse-
quent body of laws have continued to provide for a fair representation of all ethnic groups
in the federal public service. This is referred to as the Federal Character Principle. The aim
is to ensure that every sector of the polity is represented in the public service. As laudable
as this may look, many have argued that its application undermines democracy, excellence
and skill in the civil service. It means that the best can be left out of the service and the
worst picked. Compounding the skills problem is the emphasis on filling slots rather than
matching workers skills with the need of the position. Thus, many of the skills that public
servants have are wasted (Fagbemi, 2006). In this regard, the Civil Service in Nigeria tends
to be overstaffed with workers who lack the requisite skills for their positions. This system
has continued to weaken Nigerian public administration, making the processes of national
development more challenging than it could otherwise have been.
CONCLUSION
This study has been able to examine the challenges of Public Administration for Service De-
livery and Good Governance in Nigeria. The analysis demonstrates that public administration
is very essential state apparatus and a precondition for effective service delivery. It is evident
in the study that the quality of life for most Nigerians, has either not improved or has done so
marginally since the attainment of independence in 1960 (Lawton, 2002). This is as a result of
widespread lack of public accountability in governance in Nigeria which certainly undermines
the provisions of public services and economic development.
The paper further recognized the fact that Nigeria today is showing elements of weak
governments, institutional and high profile ethical infractions as well as increasing inability of
governments to deliver on key deliverables such as poverty eradication, employment generation,
economic development, security and general improvement in the lives of the people because
public administration which should have been seen as the art of managing the state apparatus
for the sake of achieving the aims of governance has failed in their responsibilities. Politicians,
leaders and public servant who should demonstrate high ethical standards by being transparent,
accountable and trustworthy, consistent in character, courageous and dedicated and committed
to duty could not live up to its billing (Adeyemi, et al, 2012:17).
Public administration is no doubt one of the cornerstones and core elements of good gover-
nance because public participation, satisfaction and inclusion are catalyst for service delivery and
dividend of governance. It is so because it is through these outcomes that the participating public
or communities can hold public authorities accountable for the common good and a functional
service delivery. It is therefore logical to deduce that effective public administration is an offshoot
of social and citizen inclusive government. It also involves managing the state apparatus for the
sake of achieving a purposeful society. The ways of ensuring an efficient public administration
and accountability public service for good governance in Nigeria as enumerated in this study is
a pathway toward creating an avenue for effective service delivery.
Recommendations
It is the suggestion of this paper that to properly engage the numerous challenges affecting public
administration in Nigeria for good governance and quality service delivery, far-reaching reforms
are inevitable. Firstly, the Nigerian government should ensure that recruitment, and promotion
of civil servants is based on merit system as opposed to current system of federal character.
This is because the enthronement of federal character principle of recruitment and other tech-
niques will sacrifice efficiency and effectiveness in the Nigerian public service. Secondly, the
government, religious bodies, the media and traditional institutions should ensure that values,
mental attitudes and beliefs of the civil servants are reoriented, so that they can cope with the
policies of the new governments suited for the 21st century. Furthermore, in order to encourage
discipline bring back sanity into the Nigerian public service, all the unprofessional tendencies
such as ethnicity, nepotism and god-fatherism in appointments and promotions, lack of security
of tenure and appointment of non-career public servants into key positions in the public service
should be stopped. This would discourage public servants who are tempted to abuse their public
offices due to frustrations not to do so. Nigeria therefore, needs a public administration that is
characterized by a high degree of professionalism and decentralization of the decision-making
process, a bureaucracy in which there is effective communication and coordination which ap-
preciate the thoughts and feelings of the people when formulating and implementing policies
(World Bank, (2006). In the same vein, civil servants must be trained and retrained to embrace
the spirit of achievement, service delivery and prudent use of both material and human resources
instead wastage which is the common feature of today public administration
Lastly, all corrupt public officials found incriminated in unethical behaviour should not be
spared but appropriately punished by dismissal and prosecution. In this regard, the behaviour
of civil service personnel will change.
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The Challenges of Public

Keywords: Development, Excellence, Exclusionary Policies, Good Governance, Management Challenges,

1. Public Administration: Public administration has no generally accepted definition. This

Service Delivery and Good Governance in Nigeria

Names of Depositors London Swiss USA Germany

Table 2. Portrait of corruption with public servants in Nigeria 1999-2007

Ayo Fayose (former Governor of Case pending,

continued on following page

Problems of Effective Public Administration, Good

The Challenges of Public Administration in Nigeria

1. Disproportionate Stringency: The Nigerian public service is characterized by gross inflex-

3. Deprived Motivation: Promotion in Nigeria Civil Service which is supposed to be based

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