Sustaining Public Sector Reforms

James Emejo, writes on the need to sustain the current drive to reform the public sector amid huge financial and material commitments

Policy somersault remains a key issue with the country’s public administrations, posing significant risks to economic stability, investor confidence, and national development.

Policy somersault, the frequent reversal, abandonment, or inconsistency in government policies often create significant challenges for a country, including economic instability, undermining of reforms, erosion of investor confidence and public trust, as well as loss of international credibility.

Experts have emphasised the need for consistent and well-implemented policies are to fostering growth, improve governance, and ensure sustainable progress. 

Nigeria’s civil service remains key to creating a stable and conducive environment for economic activities through effective policy implementation, infrastructure development, efficient public administration, and fostering innovation, leading to sustainable economic growth.

But, over the years, the sector had failed to live up to these expectations as a result of widespread corruption, inefficiency and bureaucracy, lack of professionalism and training, low morale, dearth of transparency and accountability, lack of innovation, bribery and nepotism and resistance to change, political interference, among other limitations. These identified deficiencies have largely resulted in the misallocation of resources, and undermined public trust. 

It took the intervention of private sector partners including the Aig- Imoukhuede (AIG) Foundation, working with the federal government to recently introduce key reforms to reposition the public service for greater efficiency – and the interventions have started to yield positive results – amid huge financial commitments.

Nonetheless, there are concerns that the lack of continuity may reverse these gains as continuity in public sector reform ensures that the momentum for positive change is maintained, resources are effectively used, and institutions strengthened over time to contribute to better governance and service delivery for citizens.

Continuity is key

Speaking recently at a national workshop on public sector reforms in Nigeria with the theme, “Rethinking Reforms: Why Many Reforms Fail in Nigeria and What We Can Do About It,” which was organized by the Aig-Imoukhuede (AIG) Foundation, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, emphasised the need for continuity and commitment in current efforts to reform and reposition the public service to play its role in economic development.

He said discontinuity remained the greatest pain of any reform, stressing that sustainability was one of the key ingredients of reforms, coupled with ownership, initiators, drivers and executors.

The former president described reforms as a “lifelong process, a journey, not a destination,” adding that ongoing reform must be accepted and widespread, adding that government must do all it takes in ensuring that the public service is strengthened.

Obasanjo said where necessary, monetary and other reward system including legislation should be applied to achieve the goal of repositioning the public service, and particularly commended the collaboration between government and private sector players, particularly the AIG Foundation towards sanitizing the public service.

Obasanjo further reiterated the need for recognition of the critical roles which technocrats civil service play in driving key reforms and effective governance.

According to him, “The greatest pain of reform is discontinuity. Continuity of personnel is crucial. Reform is a lifelong process, a journey, not a destination. I’ve met and dealt with some of the best in the public service. We need good men and women in the public service as much as we need them in the private sector. Some are frustrated, inadequately rewarded, and we need to correct that.”

Obasanjo said such reforms also required political heads and technocrats to work together, respecting and understanding each other, stressing that “public service, including the executive, legislative, judiciary, and technocrats, has power. Technocrats have power, and we must recognise that…I will continue to respect the Nigerian public service, particularly the technocrats until I die.”

Huge Financial Commitments to Reforms

According to Chairman, AIG Foundation, Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, the foundation has committed so much to the advancement of the country’s public sector, investing £2.9 million in leadership development, and supported the civil service reform initiatives with N1 billion as well as interventions to improve healthcare across Africa amounting to N3 billion. This was in addition to N4 billion raised from co-sponsors for the Adopt-a-Health- Facility Programme.

Also, through the foundation’s various capacity development programmes, public servants had received a total of 408 specific trainings, while 169 completed the AIG Public Leaders Programme. Altogether, 43 Federal Permanent Secretaries have been coached while the coveted AIG Degree Scholarships to University of Oxford had been awarded to 32 recipients, including AIG Fellowships to the University of Oxford granted to three beneficiaries.

Imoukhuede, highlighted the essence of an efficient and motivated public service in achieving good governance, production and distribution of public goods, formulation and implementation of economic policy, and management of public expenditure. Citing Nigeria’s Human Development Index ranking of 161 out of 189 countries, he said this was a reflection of the performance of government over several decades.

He said Chapter 2 of the Nigerian Constitution seeks to create a government workforce of size and with skills, and incentives, ethos, and accountability needed to provide quality public services and carry out the functions stated therein.

He also drew a correlation between the strength of a country’s public sector and its strength as a nation, adding that the foundation was committed to transforming public service delivery, and building a critical mass of public sector leaders, providing technical support and funding for digitisation efforts, and upskilling thousands of workers in the civil service.

He assured that the workshop would have far-reaching impact by broadening the conversation until the objectives are realized.

He said, “This conversation does not end here. And indeed, the Nigerian Public Sector Reform Project reboots here.”

The AIG foundation boss said, “All it takes for us to regain that position that is rightfully ours, the giant of Africa, prime, prime, prime place as the leader of Africa is to go back to a strong public service.

“Technology has been our cornerstone in transforming public service delivery. We provided technical support and funding for the digitization efforts of the federal civil service.

“Through our support, the service has successfully digitized thousands of files, automated 300 processes, acquired hundreds of new digital devices. In addition, our collaboration with Microsoft, we are upskilling thousands of workers in the civil service.”

He said, “A key area of our support to the civil service is the culture change programme. To change the mindset of this key constituency, we provide communication training, culture change campaign videos, and ongoing assistance for the publication of official newsletters.

“We’ve helped to develop the civil service culture handbook, better than actually many of the culture handbooks I’ve seen in the private sector, but we must make it work, that applies the values, behaviors, and practices that are essential for delivering the state’s chapter 200.

“A key element of our foundation’s theory of change is to ensure that every Nigerian citizen takes ownership of the critical need to reform the public service.

It is not their public service, it is your public service, it is our public service, and understand that as it strengthens, you strengthen as well.”

The workshop also culminated in the launch of the foundation’s evidence-based research on public sector reforms to equip citizens with the knowledge needed to transform public service.

He said, “Understanding that public sector transformation cannot be achieved without the full support of citizens, civil society organisations, and private sector entities. it is our hope that once finalised, this research will benefit all stakeholders alike.

“For federal and state governments, the research will serve as a playbook for the coordination, implementation, and ultimately sustainability of reform efforts. For private sector organisations, the research will serve as a guide for those interested in understanding the structure and systems available in the public sector and are interested in joining us on our journey to transform the public

service.”

Notably, the drive for public service excellence was inspired by Aigboje and Ofovwe Aig-Imoukhuede, both of who grew up in Nigeria at a time when civil servants were held in high esteem and the public sector played a crucial role in Africa’s successful development and growth.

“Since then, the deterioration of the public sector and national/regional decline have gone hand in hand. Reversing that decline is a personal priority for Aigboje and Ofovwe, so they are dedicating significant personal, financial and professional resources to achieve that aim through their foundation and, by doing so, helping all Africa’s citizens, society and economy to thrive,” they said. 

QUOTE

“The greatest pain of reform is discontinuity. Continuity of personnel is crucial. Reform is a lifelong process, a journey, not a destination. I’ve met and dealt with some of the best in the public service. We need good men and women in the public service as much as we need them in the private sector. Some are frustrated, inadequately rewarded, and we need to correct that.”