Public Service Delivery in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic: Issues, Challenges and Prospects for Socio-Economic Development

Abstract

Government all over the world exists to provide essential services to the citizens. When there is effective and efficient service delivery, the citizens’ well-being is assured and guaranteed. This paper is designed to x-ray the strategies that have been adopted by the Nigerian government over the years to deliver services to the citizens as well as to examine the challenges associated with public service delivery in Nigeria. The paper is qualitative because data for the study were sourced through secondary means and data gathered were analyzed using historical method. The paper found out there is low level of socio-economic development in Nigeria because government over the years has not been able to provide effective and efficient services to the citizens. The paper adopted the social contract theory as the theoretical framework. The paper recommended among other things that government officials should shun corruption and favouritism in the provision of services to the citizens. The citizens on their part should try as much as possible to hold government accountable in order to ensure improved service delivery.

Keywords: Public Service, Development, Corruption, Government, Public-Private Partnership.