Representative bureaucracy in Nigeria; from federal character principle to political clientelism

Abstract

The study examined public bureaucracy in a polyglot Nigeria with the view to appraising the efficacy of the Federal Character Principle through a descriptive but analytical approach. It noted that the infusion of ethnic sentiment into the nation’s public service does not support its expected roles as agent of socio-economic development in the country and that the federal character principle does not, in practice, address the challenges of representation in the country. Rather, it supports a clientele arrangement in which a patron sponsors individuals into public offices in attempt to preserve and perpetuate his political relevance. The study recommends a reform of federal character principle to enthrone a regime of merit and equity in the nation’s public service.

Keywords: Bureaucracy, Representative Bureaucracy, Clientelism