Government communication in Nigeria has been historically weak. Citizens hardly know what government is doing and government does not engage sufficiently with citizens. The communication gap between government and citizens provides ample opportunity for mischief-makers to fill the gap with fake news, unfounded rumours and the most outlandish conspiracy theories. Because the government communication machinery […]
One of the main tenets of democracy is that citizens get to choose their leaders every so often. In Nigeria, every four years. Historically, the period of transition from one government to another has been relatively seamless. The official photograph of the former leader is brought down, placed face-down on the floor and that of […]
Whenever things go wrong in the Nigerian government, the civil servant always seems to get the blame. Therefore, such terms as useless, incompetent, corrupt, indisciplined, clueless, bloated, idle and overstaffed are freely used. From the media, to academics, to politicians, it is a free-for-all and the civil service is a pliable punching bag. Even the […]
This year, Nigeria marks 20 years of unbroken democratic rule, the longest in its history. This is a big deal, particularly as military rule, which Nigeria was under for a large part of its history, does not ordinarily lend itself to accountability and due process. Democracy provides an opportunity to ensure that government focuses on […]
I am greatly honoured to have been asked to deliver this year’s Inauguration Lecture. The Kaduna Inauguration Lecture of 2015 was delivered by the late, great Professor Pius Adesanmi. His address was titled: “El Rufai and the Challenge of Building Kaduna in a Day With One Kobo.” He concluded his address with the words “To […]
The cliché that one need not reinvent the wheel is intended as a caution against duplicating or recreating that which already exists. To reimagine a perfectly flawless invention is both a futile and valueless effort. In terms of political society, the invention of the modern bureaucracy is nearly unparalleled in its importance. Like the wheel, […]
On 26th February 2024, the Federal Government announced, with great fanfare, that President Bola Tinubu had ordered the implementation of the Oronsaye Panel Report. Although many news outlets reported that the president had ordered “the full implementation of the Oronsaye Report”1, what the Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination, Ms. Hadiza Bala-Usman, […]
Since the return to democratic rule in 1999, several efforts have been made to improve governance and to reform public service in Nigeria. While some of these efforts have recorded some results, some have not. The next administration needs to sustain and accelerate the pace of governance and public service reforms to improve service delivery, […]