Ibadan Journal of the Social Sciences
Volume 15, No. 1, 2017
DOI: 10.36108/ijss/7102.51.0110
Centenary Celebrations: The Role of Good Governance and Effective . Public Administration towards Achieving Economic Growth and Stability in Fledgling Democracy in Nigeria
Tomoye, Charles Oladipo
National Productivity Centre, Ibadan, Nigeria
Abstract
Nigeria, a country endowed with abundant natural, mineral and human resources is grappling with problems of development; a century after her amalgamation and fifty-jive years of full fledged political independence. She has been overtaken in development by some other developing countries notably Indonesia, Malaysia and Venezuela. Today, she is faced with myriad of problems prominent among which are poverty, corruption, insecurity, kidnapping, ethno-religious crises and many more. These problems can be attributed to bad governance. This paper examines the role of good governance and effective public administrative system in ensuring economic growth and stable polity. The paper adopted Elite theory as its analytical tool. The paper contends that good governance is crucial to economic growth because it enhances human development which in turn is the pivot around which other developmental activities revolve. The paper further argues that .only an efficient and effective public administrative system can deliver the dividends of democracy. It concludes that adherence to basic tenets of good governance and a combination of well trained and carefully recruited and motivated public servants as well as an enabling environment can ensure economic growth and stable polity.
Keywords: Good governance, public administration, economic growth, democracy, centenary celebration