Public Sector Reforms in Africa: Nigerian Perspectives

Authors

Funmi Adewumi (ed)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.57054/codesria.pub.79

Keywords:

public sector, reforms, Nigerian, independence, governments

Synopsis

The public sector in Africa has come under severe criticism over the past few decades, particularly since the mid-1980s when many countries in sub-Sahara Africa were forced to adopt structural adjustment programmes (SAPs) to address fundamental economic problems confronting them. The public services of these countries were variously accused of inefficiency, ineptitude and even of constituting a clog in the wheel of development. This is the background against which these countries were forced to embark on reforms of the public sector. The impression created then was that once these reforms were in place, all would be well.

The six chapters in this book represent a critique of the Public Sector Reforms in Nigeria that were initiated by the Olusegun Obasanjo regime in the late 1990s. The book examines the various components of the reforms that were implemented at the behest of the Bretton Woods institutions and exposes their inadequacies. They also question the theoretical and philosophical underpinnings on which the reform programmes were based.

The conclusion of this book is that the reforms had only further deepened poverty levels among the vast majority of Nigerians. Essentially, through the privatisation and commercialisation of public enterprises, and the mass lay-offs of thousands of public servants, Nigerians have been denied of some of their citizenship rights. It is the contention of the contributors, therefore, that there is a need to put in place public policy and institutions that would champion alternative development strategies which put people, and not markets, at the centre of development.

This book is a very useful companion for students and scholars of development, administration and management, as well as policy makers, trade unionists, political activists and those involved in development work.

 

Chapters

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Author Biographies

Funmi Adewumi

is a professor of Industrial Relations at the College of Management
and Social Sciences, Okuku Campus, Osun State University, Nigeria. He holds a
PhD in Industrial Relations and Industrial Sociology from the University of Ibadan,
Nigeria. Before joining the services of Osun State University, he had taught at the
Department of Industrial Relations and Personnel Management, University of Lagos.
He was also professor of Industrial Relations and dean, College of Business and
Social Sciences, Crawford University, Igbesa, Ogun State, Nigeria. Professor Adewumi
is currently the Editor of the Nigerian Journal of Industrial Relations, and a member of
the Editorial Board of Working USA, Journal of Labour and Society

William Idowu

 is a senior lecturer in the Department of Philosophy, Obafemi
Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. He holds PhDs in Philosophy (Obafemi Awolowo
University) and Political Science (University of Ibadan). His major research interests
are in citizenship issues and theory as well as conflict and peace studies.
0 Prelim.

Asmau Sani Maikudi

 is currently a chief lecturer in the Department of Social
Science, Kaduna Polytechnic, Nigeria. She holds a PhD in Public Administration and
Policy Analysis from the University of Abuja, Nigeria. She was formerly Director,
College of Administration and Social Sciences, and Head of Social Sciences
Department of the same institution. Apart from journal publications, Dr Maikudi
has two books to her credit: Gender Issues in Technical Education in Nigeria and Girl-Child
Education in Northern Nigeria.

Femi Aborisade

 is a senior principal lecturer at The Polytechnic, Ibadan, Nigeria,
and formerly Head of the Department of Business Administration and Management
Studies of the same institution. A.Fellow of the Centre for Civil Society, School of
Development Studies, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa, Aborisade
holds aMasters degree in Industrial and Labour Relations, and a Bachelors degree in
Law. His key research interests include Labour Movement, Human Rights and Public
Financial Management. Aborisade is on the Editorial Board of the International Journal
on Governmental Financial Management (IJGFM).

Massoud Omar

 is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Local
Government Studies, Institute of Administration, Ahmadu Bello University, Nigeria.
He is also a visiting lecturer in the Department of Political Science, Gombe State
University. He holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of Bordeaux,
France, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Conflict Resolution from Uppsala, Sweden.

Anthony I. Monye-Emina

holds a PhD in Economics. He is an associate professor
in the Department of Economics and Statistics, University of Benin, Nigeria. He is
on the Executive Council of the Nigerian Economic Society. He has a number of
scholarly publications to his credit and has attended a number of local and international
conferences and workshops.

References

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Salisu, M., ‘Incentive Structure, Civil Service Efficiency and the Hidden Economy in Nigeria’, Discussion Paper No 2001/86, Word Institute for Development Economics Research, United Nations University, September 2001.

The Guardian, Sunday, 1 July 2007, Isolo, Lagos: Guardian Newspapers Limited The Nation, Saturday, 29 September 2007, Lagos: Vintage Press Limited. The Punch, Wednesday, 3 October 2007, Ikeja, Lagos: Punch (Nig) Limited. The Punch, Friday, 6 July 2007, Ikeja, Lagos: Punch (Nig) Limited.

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Published

February 13, 2013

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Copyright (c) 2013 CODESRIA Books Publication System

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