NIGERIA AND POLICY IMPLEMENTATION 

Felix Oladeji argues the need for effective implementation of policies

Over the years in Nigeria, numerous brilliant policies have been formulated, but the paradox is that only a negligible part of these policies are implemented. To this end there is no apparent and significant development to show for this. This suggests that mere formulation of policies should become not the major issue in Nigeria but rather their effective implementation, as it is only effectively implemented policies that can bring about national development.

Nigeria is besieged by many problems, outside the geographic disadvantages, and unfortunate amalgamation by the colonialist which has made peaceful co- existence and stability a mirage, contemporary issues, ranging from religious intolerance, menace of Boko-haram in the North, kidnapping in the south, cyber-crime among the youth and general un-employment in the country are serious challenges in the country.

The system would not drop from the sky and operate itself until a willing and effective leader implements policies that were hitherto formulated. This is only when we can think of a meaningful development. The need for enhancing the development process in the development in Nigeria is ever becoming more crucial and urgent. The pace at which this can be realized is hinged on the ability of the government to formulate appropriate policies and very importantly on the capability of the leaders to effectively implement the formulated policies. 

Nigeria is presently swimming in the ocean of abject poverty, absence of basic social amenities and excruciating under- development, not because there are no good policies to ameliorate the situation, but because policy implementation is the Achilles heel of the Nigerian state. Studies reveal that if all policies formulated in Nigeria over the years were implemented accordingly, she would have been on a fast lane of development. It is however a paradox that most of these policies only exists on paper and are never implemented to actualize the objectives of such policies. The culture of non-implementation of public policies in the country virtually affects all levels of government.

However, policy implementation or delivery is negatively or positively affected by the attitude or behavior of the implementers. That is, if they are negatively disposed to the policy, there will be lack of commitment to the implementation process. Nigeria state is dependent, weak and lacks autonomy. Therefore despite the availability of polices that stand to better the lot of the average Nigerian, the state fortunately lacks the political will to positively realize such policy objectives. The argument is that, even though the set objectives of government polices stand to benefits the public, the cabal that hold top echelon of government hostage, at any point in time, will jeopardize or frustrate the implementation of public policies. In the energy sector for instance, Nigeria generates only a miserable 3,500 megawatts capacity. And despite the sinking of a copious 13.2 billion American dollars in the sector by former president Olusegun Obasanjo regime between 1999 and 2007, no tangible result was achieved.

The leadership corruption and ineptitude, for instances, affect the content and quality of policy at formulation stage. For instance, policies, more often than not are made for purposes of the selfish and egoistic interest of the political leaders and sometimes only to attract public acclaim and attention with less regard to their appropriateness in addressing given problems or possibility of or effective practical implementation by the public bureaucracy. Indeed, most policymaking goals are subordinate to the personal rewards and interests of the political leaders and their colleagues with the result that a policy is judged more on its political merits than with the real development need rarely factored into consideration. For these, most polices in Nigeria are either inappropriate or lack well defined objectives and programme for their effective implementation. Implementation of polices in Nigeria take the form of “learning process in trial and error”. In this context, policies or programmes are haphazardly implemented and even sometimes abandoned or dismantled midway because the basis for formulating the policy was not, in the first instance, predicated on existing data, realities or need. In Nigerian there are usually no comprehensive policy standards and procedure. 

Sectionalism and ethnicity has also continued to mar public policy implementation in Nigeria. Experience has shown that, some national policies are implemented fully in other part of the country but simply abandoned or marginally implemented in other areas. The petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) headed by the immediate past President Muhammadu Buhari, for instance, constructed a lot of roads in the northern part of the country, but nothing tangible was done on road construction in the south where the fund was derived from. This was possible because the chief implementation officers of polices was  of northern extraction. Furthermore, it is a fact that the implementing officers of polices do so to benefit their immediate ethnic group and abandoned same policies sited for implementation in other areas. In essence, a compromise made during implementation that seeks to alter basic policy goals are detrimental to the successful execution of program. That is, in any situation whereby actors in the implementation process are self- centered or motivated by self-aggrandizement, policy objectives would be difficult to be realized maximally.

Moreover, political will should be the factor to government formulation strategies. Political will means support for a policy by top government functionaries. This is because government sometimes formulates policy but lacks the political social and economic will to implement it. Good example are the fights against indiscipline and corruption in Nigeria where in many instances, corrupt officers are seen all over the affairs of the government without being arrested and prosecuted. In policy formulation, stakeholder must first be identified by taking more into account the interest of the stakeholders. Government policy depends on the agencies of government for support and government should show positive attitude to the policy by ensuring adequate measure to empower the stakeholder, civil society and other interested parties with the required pre- requisite information on the policy for their benefits.

One could say that no single government policy plan is sufficient to meet the needs of the people. It is often better to target specific groups for a better policy implementation. In a summation of policy on developmental issues, it must be seen as a search for improving the life of the specific target group by government and with the support of people.

The culture of discontinuity of policies in cases of charges in government or organizational leadership should be discouraged. This is necessary because, even though government comes and goes, policy remains and should continue the implementation of existing policies, unless fundamental development renders their continued implementation impossible or unnecessary. 

Oladeji writes from Lagos