3 Review(s)

This work examines public management and the trend of sustainable development in Nigeria from 1966 to 1999. The text analyzes the trend of change that occurred in Nigeria during the several military regimes and the short democratic government. It argues that Nigeria needs to change in both its public administration and its military institutions in order to attain sustainable development. The text addresses why public administrators in Nigeria are happy with the status quo. It uses several cases to present an argument that Nigeria must come to terms with its lack of capable public administrators. Extended family committments, corruption and ethnic ties have affected the impartiality of public managers and private invested interests in competition for state patronage, crucial factors in a nation where the state has been the main agent of development. Thus, the text maintains that the effective performance of public administration in the sustainable development process will require a high level of creative assessment and innovation on the part of political leaders. It goes on to analyze the implication of the profound transformation these change instruments will bring about.The mode of analysis adopted by the author, though specific to Nigeria in this text, should be easily adaptable to other countries.