DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

This study examines the effect of staff training on workers performance: a case study of Ifo local government secretariat. To carryout the study ,five objectives and four research questions were derived from the statement of the problems. The simple random sampling method was used to select sample size of 300 (three hundred) respondents. To test the research questions, data were collected with the aid of questionnaires and other relevant documents and literature. The data generated through the instrument were analyzed using the chi-square. The study revealed that the study revealed that staff training and development in organisation leads to increase in workers’ productivity and performance and also that staff development in an organisation enhances employee’s effectiveness and efficiency. The study also revealed that the acquisition of new skills by workers help in boosting their moral. Furthermore, the study also shows that staff training and development in organisation helps to motivate workers to put in their best at work. The study recommends that Ifo Local government should adopt modern practices toenhance their productivity. A permanent autonomous body should be established or contracted by the authority of the Ifo L. G. A. to induct and update knowledge of new and old staff on their job and to co-ordinate the activities of training and development on continuous basis

Access to higher education is universally acknowledged as a critical driver of individual empowerment and national development. In Nigeria, however, the pathway to tertiary education is often obstructed by financial barriers that prevent many deserving students from pursuing their academic aspirations. This financial exclusion not only hampers human capital development but also reinforces the cycle of poverty and inequality (Odia & Omofonmwan, 2007). Over the years, the demand for university education in Nigeria has risen significantly due to population growth, increased awareness of the importance of education, and a youthful demographic. However, this surge in demand has not been matched by a corresponding increase in public funding. Government subventions to public universities have remained relatively stagnant, leading to overcrowded classrooms, decaying infrastructure, and underfunded student support systems. Consequently, many students find themselves unable to afford tuition and associated costs, resulting in either non-enrollment or premature dropout. 8 Recognizing these systemic challenges, the Federal Government of Nigeria introduced the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) in 2023, as a bold and transformative step toward democratizing access to higher education. Enacted under the Nigeria Student Loan Act and signed into law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, NELFUND aims to provide interest-free loans to undergraduates in public tertiary institutions, thus removing financial hardship as a barrier to educational attainment (Edugist, 2023; Premium Times, 2023)

This study examined the challenges of revenue generation and rural development in Nigeria: A case study of Ovia North-East LGA, Edo State. The data collected were presented in a tabular form with focus on the major research questions which enabled the researcher determine the results. The findings from the study revealed that Ovia North-East LGA raises loans for incurring capital development programme that are within their statutory functions, lack of capacity of Ovia North-East LGA to fulfil the aspiration of their communities are caused by lack of adequate resources, the role of the state governors in the affairs of Ovia North-East LGA results in the ineffective implementation of its developmental programmes, bad local government politics affects the implementation of development programmes in Ovia North-East LGA, Ovia North- East LGA has facilitated rapid development at the grass-root. The study recommended that efforts should be enhanced by the local government towards generation of internal revenue so as to meet the yearnings and aspiration of the people at grassroot level; local government should encourage the collection of IGR through the application of modern equipment’s and electronics means; local government should also find a means of closing up the loopholes and discourage frauds among the revenue collectors and the tax payers; local government should embark on the establishment of some mini-sized industries that will provide employment opportunities to the people. The participation in agriculture will encourage the inhabitants of local governments to improve their standard of living on one hand, and to improve the revenue base of local governments on the other hand. The study concluded that local government which is mostly endowed with natural resources should be allowed to persuade foreign investors for the much desired development at the local level, and any restructuring of this tier of government must as a necessity be done in concert with the generality of the people, while every autonomous community in Nigeria should constitute a level of governance, as this will facilitate rapid development of Nigeria and bring about dividends of democracy nearer to the people. Therefore, the effective management of generated revenue is also a fundamental issue in the provision of services to the local populace, so revenue generation is not an end in itself in determining service provision, but proper utilisation is also a great determinant

This study investigates the merit-based recruitment process and its effect on job performance in the Edo State Civil Service Commission (ESCSC). The problem stems from political interference, favoritism, and poor recruitment practices that hinder efficiency and fairness. The study aims to assess the level of merit-based recruitment, identify challenges, and suggest improvement strategies. Anchored on the Attraction- Selection-Attrition (ASA) theory, a survey design was adopted. Data were collected from fifty-six (56) staff using questionnaires and analyzed with descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation. Findings revealed that merit-based recruitment is practiced and positively influences employee performance, though hindered by nepotism, political influence, inadequate ICT tools, and funding. The study concludes that strengthening meritocracy improves efficiency and transparency. It recommends enforcing anti-nepotism policies, training recruitment officers, adopting ICT tools, establishing independent oversight committees, and increasing budgetary support to enhance job performance in the Edo State Civil Service.

This research focused on the impact of the universal basic education policy on public junior secondary schools in Edo State. The aim was to investigate how the universal basic education has improved instructional and learning materials availability in public Junior Secondary Schools in Edo State to meet modern pedagogy. The survey research method was adopted. The researcher employed the use of both primary and secondary sources of data collection. The study has a population which comprises four different UBE schools in Egor Local Government Area. Which include the following; Egor Secondary School (1,706), Asoro Grammar School (1,812), Use Junior Secondary School (531) and Evbotubu Grammar School (1,669). To ensure adequate representativeness based on the size of the study population, the study opted to drawing the sample size that will be representative through the method of percentaging. Thus, twenty percent (20%) sampling was drawn from each of the four selected UBE schools in Egor Local Government Area, which upon calculation amount study sample size of 946. Furthermore, the sampling technique adopted for this study is the stratified random sampling technique in which respondents was selected using certain conditions such as gender, class, age and teacher’s qualifications etc. Furthermore, both descriptive and inferential statistics methods of analysis were adopted. The descriptive statistics include the use of frequency distribution tables and simple percentages to get the figures of different categories of the responses to the questionnaire. The inferential statistics on the other hand was meant to measure the type of relationship between variables. The type of inferential statistics that was deployed is the Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation (r) Coefficient analytical tool. These were done using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS 22.0 version) software at 0.5 level of significance. It was found that the universal b sic education policy has made textbooks available in all subject areas in public junior secondary schools. The study also established that the universal basic education policy provides standard white or black boards with accompanying markers, chalks, and customized dusters among others. The study further show that the universal basic education policy also provides textbooks in the noncore subject areas of home economics, and fine art among others. On the issue of reduced number of out-of-school students, the study observed by reason of its retrieved field data and subsequent analysis that there exists a strong relationship between the UBE policy and reduced number of out-of-school students of public junior secondary schools in Edo State.

The study investigated the impact of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in public policy advocacy in Nigeria. To achieve the purpose of the study, four (4) research questions were raised and answered. To achieve the purpose of the study, four (4) research questions were raised and answered. . The sample size for the study was made up of 100 respondents. The data collected was analyzed using frequency count and simple percentage. The study revealed that NGOs have made significant contributions to public policy reforms, particularly in the health sector, where they have actively engaged in advocacy, awareness campaigns, and partnerships with government agencies to improve healthcare delivery and accountability. It was concluded that NGOs have demonstrated remarkable effectiveness in advocacy and policy influence in Nigeria. The study recommended among others that the government should strengthen partnerships with NGOs by creating formal frameworks for consultation and participation in policy formulation, particularly in the health, education, and gender sectors.

This research work seek to examine recruitment policy and its effect on manpower development in the civil service: a case study of Edo state civil service. The study made use of questionnaire to obtain data from respondent. Four objectives were raised for the study. The study found that Civil servants perception is used to gauge in Edo State civil Service. Entry level qualifications reveal that the recruitment drive is not discriminatory. Many respondents agree that recruitment process is fair and equitable. It also found that Respondents are divided on their perception on the satisfaction with the system of promotion in the Edo State Civil service. and thus recommend that That the civil service commission should embark on a comprehensive audit and appraisal of workers to identify the gaps in manpower utilization in Edo state civil service

Traditional rulers hold the key to the success or failure in security administration in Nigeria because they operate at the grassroots of the society and interact closely with people in their daily activities consequent upon which they are highly respected. This study examined the role of traditional rulers in maintaining peace and harmony in Nigeria. Simple random sampling with proportionate representation was used to determine sample size of 100 respondents from the population. Structured questionnaire was used for data collection and this was supplemented with interview of key informants. Data collected was analysed and represented clearly and vividly using frequency tables and percentages. Results showed the roles of traditional rulers in Nigeria which include; to chair meetings of council of elders of the community, give advice to local government officials for development of their locality, make sure law and order prevail in the community, etc. It was recommended that Traditional institutions should be strengthened and used as a means of conflict management and peace- building in the region

The study examined the impact of staff training on non-academic staff performance in the University of Benin (UNIBEN) within the period of 2010 – 2022. The objectives of the study include the following: to examine the extent to which staff training impact on non – academic staff of the University of Benin, to investigate if training programmes motivate non – academic staff for optimal performance in UNIBEN, to identify the challenges facing non – academic staff training towards increased performance in UNIBEN, and to proffer solutions to the challenges facing non –academic staff training towards increased performance in UNIBEN. The study adopted survey research design. According to the Academic Planning Division of the University of Benin, (2021), the population of the non - academic staff of the University of Benin as at 2021 stands at 5432. The study selected four departments from the non-academic side of the University of Benin. These departments include Bursary, Exams and Records, Registry and Library of which 30 respondents were sampled from each department. The instrument used for the collection of data was the questionnaire which was administered to the study sampled respondents. The data collected was analyzed using simple percentage and chi square analytical method to test the hypotheses generated for the study. The study discovered amongst others that, Training has an impact on non-academic staff performance in Uniben. Furthermore, policy recommendations were adopted which include amongst others that effective trainings should be organized regularly and undertaken.

The need to provide the citizens with socio-economic and infrastructural facilities has continued to be a serious concern to countries all over the world, especially the developing ones including Nigeria. To achieve this, various governments in Nigeria have continued to initiate and implement policies aimed at addressing these problems. This study therefore set out to examine the challenges of implementation of public policies in Nigeria. The objectives of the study include: to find out the strategies adopted by government and its agencies in the implementation of public policies and to identify factors militating against their effective implementation. This study seeks to discuss the reasons that militate against effective implementation of policies in Nigeria and suggest solutions to this recurring problem. Frequent changes in government, corruption, lack of human and material resources, not having standard leadership programme, tribalism and ethnic fractions and lack of political will to policy implementation are the absurd of policy implementations. This study is of the opinion that until policies in Nigeria are implemented, there will be no sustainable and attainable development. Based on this, there is need for our policy makers and implementers to have a change in attitude towards policies in Nigeria.