Innovative Administration and Service Delivery for Sustainable Civil Service in Nigeria

Abstract

Every government relies on its civil service for effective and efficient formulation and implementation of governmental policies/programmes. No nation can advance administratively and otherwise beyond the innovative capacity of its civil service who serves as the engine room. The absence of effective innovation hinders sustainability, effective and efficient service delivery in the civil service. The level of service delivery is a function of the innovative capability of the civil service. Innovation therefore remains very vital for the sustainability of the civil service. The focus of this paper is to assess how innovative administration has impacted on service delivery for sustainable civil service in Nigeria. Modernisation theory was adopted as the theoretical framework. The paper is qualitative in nature, relying on secondary sources of information. The findings indicate that there are innovative efforts in checking corruption and truancy in the civil service as well as commencement of digitalization processes for effective and efficient and sustainable service delivery. Also, civil servants are not properly rewarded to be innovative. Furthermore, civil servants sometimes find it difficult to adapt to changes occasioned by innovative ideas amongst others. Accordingly, the paper recommends that present digitalization process should be sustained. Also, civil servants should be encouraged and rewarded to be innovative. The introduction of every innovation should be properly communicated to civil servants before they are put to use.