Post-colonial public administration in Nigeria: An examination of enduring themes in United States public administration and their adaptability to the Nigerian experience

This study explores the utility and adaptability of five "enduring" themes in United States public administration to the Nigerian administrative experience. Merit in civil service, politics/administration dichotomy, leadership and motivation, public personnel issues, and public finance and development were examined in four distinct phases that are bounded by the four political regimes in Nigeria.;Phase 1 examined the post-independence parliamentary system of administration. Phase 2 reviewed military politics and administration in Nigeria. Phase 3 focused on the multi-party presidential system of government. Phase 4 dealt with the present military government, in transition to a two-party presidential system of government. Through a systematic review of Nigerian public administration against this background of political instability, the study concluded that the American public administration themes and theories are not adaptable to the third world situation. Nigeria serves as an example of the inability of these ideas to be translated.