A STUDY ON THE FEDERAL CHARACTER/QUOTA SYSTEM AND PRODUCTIVITY OF NIGERIA PUBLIC SERVICE (A STUDY OF NATIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION 2004-2014)

ABSTRACT

Federal character was adopted in Nigeria to ensure that no group or section suffers imbalance or marginalization of any kind. However, it implementation had been fraught with criticism by scholars and public servants who see it as an instrument of favouring some sections against others. It had been linked to the high level of administrative inefficiency experienced by the civil service system in spite of myriad of reforms over the years.

The study examined the application of federal character principle and its implication on service delivery in Nigerian federal civil service. The Nigerian federal civil service is the bedrock of Nigeria’s quest for socio-economic development. However, over the years, service delivery and infrastructural development have remained a hydra headed problem.

Secondary data was utilized in carrying out the research and after all studies have been done; it was observed that there is a relationship between federal character principle and employees‟ service delivery as well as poor attitude to work by bureaucrats. To achieve efficient service delivery and better attitude to work by civil servants in the service, government should imbibe the prescripts of Marx Weber bureaucratic theory as regards recruitment based on merit, technical competency and qualification, as well as re-examine the reliability and validity of the application of federal character principle.

Also, the research reviewed previous planning experience of Nigeria prior to the introduction of the NEEDS which has both SEEDS and LEEDS as its state and local government level respectively and define key initiatives required for institutionalizing development planning model in Nigeria.