CIVIL SERVICE AS A CATALYST FOR SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA

Abstract

The primary function of the civil service is formulation and implementation of governmental policies in line with the welfare of the citizens, sustainability of the state, regulating commercial operations, and providing social service. Civil service plays a crucial role in any country's economic development, particularly in Nigeria where the public sector is directly involved in national development. It serves as a pivot for design and execution sustainable economic development programmes. This necessitated the civil service to adopt more management methods, develop the necessary managerial abilities, and adopt a new strategy that includes project management in order to secure and ensure sustainability. This study explored the role of the civil service as a contributor to Nigeria’s sustainable economic development. The methodology adopted was a documentary review and contextual analysis of past and current literature on the impact of civil service on sustainable economic development in Nigeria. The inefficiency and incompetency of the Nigerian civil service are evident due to the poor execution of the national budgets and public policies geared towards economic development. Furthermore, the unpredictability of the Nigerian political and economic sector and the high cost of doing business which is undermining investors' confidence is another important negative effect on Nigerian civil service performance in promotion of sustainable economic development. Therefore, for the Nigerian civil service to contribute to sustainable economic development it must be made more appealing and supported, modern equipment and technologies should be introduced across all levels of the civil service, continuous professional development should be made mandatory in the civil service, and appointment and promotion in the civil service must be based on merit and qualifications.