Time Management in the Nigerian Civil Service: An Imperative Value For Nigeria’s Reforming Economy

Abstract

The Nigerian public service has been undergoing gradual and systematic reforms and restructuring since 1999 after decades of military rule. The reforms are meant to meet the challenges of civil rule, democracy, good governance, and globalization. Despite the various public and civil service reforms of the Nigerian civil service is still slow in responding to technological changes and modern organizational methods. It is characterized by poor working arrangements and gross in discipline. In most organizations in Nigeria, lots of man-hour is wasted on unproductive activities. This problem of wasted man-hour seems to have been taken for granted in Nigeria and it has not been deliberately addressed in our reform agenda. Time management is an important factor in organizational efficiency and effectiveness. It is against this backdrop that this paper examines the role of time management in achieving the reform agenda. Secondary data was used to examine the concept of time in advanced capitalist economies, Africa and Nigeria. It was found that poor remuneration, lack’of motivation, especially intrinsic motivation and poor work arrangements were responsible for poor work ethics in the public/civil service in Nigeria.