THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

This study examined the implications of local government autonomy on rural development in Egor Local Government Area of Edo State, Nigeria. It specifically assessed the extent of administrative, political, and fiscal autonomy enjoyed by the local government, analyzed how autonomy influences rural development outcomes, identified major challenges inhibiting effective development, and proposed strategies to enhance autonomy and service delivery. A descriptive survey design was employed, with a population of 325 local government staff and a sample of 124 respondents selected using simple random sampling. Data were collected through a validated and reliable questionnaire, and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings revealed that Egor Local Government enjoys a moderate level of autonomy, which has a moderately positive effect on rural development, particularly in infrastructure, education, and healthcare. However, persistent challenges such as financial dependency on the state, political interference, weak internally generated revenue, and overlapping administrative roles hinder effective performance. The study concludes that deepening local government autonomy through direct fund allocation, institutional reforms, capacity building, and strengthened community participation is crucial for sustainable rural development. The study recommends constitutional enforcement of direct fiscal allocation to local councils, mandatory elected leadership, and continuous professional development for staff to enhance efficiency and accountability in grassroots governance.

The study examined leadership style on employee attitude in Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Benin City, Edo State. The objectives of the study include the following: to examine the impacts of leadership styles on punctuality of workers in Nigerian Television Authority, to ascertain the impact of leadership style on staff attitudes towards customers in Nigerian Television Authority, to investigate the impact of leadership style on the sub-ordinate attitudes towards management in Nigerian Television Authority, to examine the leadership style on the generality of workers attitude towards the handling of organisational equipments in Nigerian Television Authority and to proffer possible solutions to the challenges of effective leadership style in Nigerian Television Authority. The study adopted survey research design. The population of this study according to the Human Resource Department in Broadcasting Service (NTA), Benin City, Edo State is 123 staffs. The sample size for this research comprised of a total of 101 employees selected from various departments present in the organization which include News, programs, marketing, and corporate affairs department respectively. The instrument used for the collection of data was the questionnaire which was administered to the study sampled respondents. Out of the 101 questionnaires distributed, 98 copies were retrieved. The data collected was analyzed using simple percentage. The study found amongst others that leadership styles have an impact on workers punctuality in NTA. Furthermore, policy recommendations were adopted which include amongst others that management should also imbibe supportive leadership style in NTA.