Civil Service Reforms in Nigeria

Abstract

Adequate and effective management of the civil service are critical to sustainable socio – economic development of any nation. In Nigeria, as in most countries in Africa, the civil service has declined in proficiency, probity and morale in the past decades. Consequently, the State’s capability and potential to fulfill its responsibilities as service providers to the citizens has declined and progressively a crisis developed in the Nigerian civil service. In order to improve service delivery, successive post – independent governments have undertaken various civil service reforms to reposition the skills, capability, influence and morale of the civil servants. Yet, the civil servants have remained ineffective, demotivated, have low morale, limited training, low capacity and capability to perform their functions. This study reviews the various civil service reforms in post – independence Nigeria and their short comings. It also considers the challenges encountered by these reform initiatives. The secondary means of data collection was employed. The study concludes that civil service reforms have remained difficult to implement due to strong institutional, political, administrative and psychological hindrances.  The study recommends that the government should collaborate with various stakeholders like political leaders, the media, civil society organizations, private sector and the international community. Their cooperation and synergy are highly needed for reforms to be successful. Government should also invest in human capital development by organizing capacity building programmes and also implement good welfare packages that will motivate workers to put in their best to see that government’s business and reforms are well implemented among others.