CONTRADICTIONS AND IMPEDIMENTS IN THE NIGERIAN PUBLIC SECTOR MANAGEMENT: PERISCOPING THE CHALLENGES AND WAY FORWARD

Abstract

This article examines the contradictions and limitations that hinder the Nigerian public sector
management from being the driving force of national development. Drawing on the political economy theory,
the authors explore the power dynamics and domination mechanisms that characterize the Nigerian public
sector, explaining how economic sub-structures create impediments to effective public sector management.
The Nigerian state is perceived as being co-terminus with the dominant social classes, and lacking autonomy
to mediate class struggles over wealth and power. The article highlights the need for a reconstitution of the
Nigerian public sector management, to make it more humane and less vulnerable to political class hijack.
Using a qualitative descriptive and exploratory approach, the research provides an insight into the nature and
characteristics of the Nigerian public sector management. Historical backdrops of public sector reforms in
Nigeria are explored, with an emphasis on recent reforms under the Jonathan and Buhari administrations. The
article focuses on the challenges and contradictions of public sector management, highlighting issues that
hinder efficient and effective service delivery. The article outlines certain imperatives for the Nigerian public
sector management to ensure a successful implementation of public policies. These include the need to reduce
over-bloated bureaucracy, enhance transparency and accountability, enforce fiscal discipline, increase
revenue, and reduce leakages. The article concludes with the need to review the provisions of the 1999
Constitution as amended, discourage ministerial nominees from each state of the federation, and to prioritize
power, oil and gas, agriculture, solid minerals, maritime, and financial matters to achieve economic
diversification, reduce government liability, and stabilize the polity.