Birthing the new age nigerian public manager

What a fascinating topic!

Birthing the New Age Nigerian Public Manager: A Call to Action

The Nigerian public sector is at a crossroads, and the need for a new breed of public managers has never been more pressing. The country's development aspirations, as enshrined in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), require a new generation of public managers who are equipped to deliver effective, efficient, and accountable public services.

The Challenges

The Nigerian public sector faces numerous challenges, including:

  1. Inefficient governance: Corruption, bureaucratic red tape, and lack of transparency hinder the effective delivery of public services.
  2. Limited capacity: Insufficient training, inadequate resources, and poor leadership skills hinder the ability of public managers to perform their duties effectively.
  3. Lack of innovation: The public sector is often slow to adopt new technologies, processes, and ideas, leading to stagnation and inefficiency.
  4. Poor citizen engagement: The public sector often fails to engage with citizens, leading to a lack of trust and participation in governance.

The New Age Public Manager

To address these challenges, we need a new breed of public managers who possess the following qualities:

  1. Strategic thinking: The ability to think critically and strategically, anticipating and responding to changing circumstances.
  2. Collaborative leadership: The ability to build and maintain effective relationships with stakeholders, including citizens, civil society, and the private sector.
  3. Innovative problem-solving: The ability to identify and implement innovative solutions to complex problems.
  4. Digital literacy: The ability to leverage technology to improve public services, enhance transparency, and increase citizen engagement.
  5. Accountability and transparency: The commitment to transparency, accountability, and ethical behavior in all aspects of public service delivery.

The Way Forward

To birthing the new age Nigerian public manager, we must:

  1. Invest in capacity building: Provide training and development opportunities for public managers to acquire the skills and knowledge needed to excel in their roles.
  2. Promote a culture of innovation: Encourage experimentation, risk-taking, and learning from failures to drive innovation and improvement in public services.
  3. Foster a culture of transparency and accountability: Implement measures to increase transparency, accountability, and citizen engagement in public service delivery.
  4. Leverage technology: Utilize technology to improve public services, enhance transparency, and increase citizen engagement.
  5. Encourage collaboration and partnership: Foster partnerships between the public, private, and civil society sectors to leverage resources, expertise, and knowledge.

Conclusion

The birthing of the new age Nigerian public manager is a critical step towards transforming the public sector and delivering effective, efficient, and accountable public services. By investing in capacity building, promoting a culture of innovation, fostering transparency and accountability, leveraging technology, and encouraging collaboration and partnership, we can create a new generation of public managers who are equipped to drive Nigeria's development aspirations forward.