In a visionary step toward reforming Nigeria’s Public Service delivery, Olajide Mamud Okesade, a Permanent Secretary in the Oyo State Civil Service is to undertake a comparative research project on civil service systems across key Local Government Areas in Nigeria and selected countries across four continents.
The international component of the research will focus on Singapore, Rwanda, the United States and the United Kingdom, while evaluation of results from International leg with Nigeria Civil Service will yield identifiable global best practices that can be adapted to improve the efficiency, responsiveness, and institutional capacity of Nigeria’s Civil Service.
Local Government Areas will be selected from each senatorial district across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, ensuring comprehensive national coverage.
Research Assistants will be drawn from relevant Government institutions at home and abroad. This will Creat opportunities for direct involvement and capacity development among serving officers.
The research timeline spans January to December 2025, preliminary visits are scheduled to the United Kingdom and the United States in May, 2025.
These visits will feature meetings with public administration experts and relevant institutions, and also prepare ground for Research Assistants that would be adopted in the course of physical application of research questionnaire and other instruments prepare for full-scale implementation.
A critical stakeholders’ meeting will follow the initial research phase to evaluate findings and develop actionable implementation strategies. The study had began with online aspects and documentation, setting the stage for stakeholder engagement and fieldwork.
According to the researcher OKESADE, this initiative is inspired by empirical exposure and hands-on experience in public administration, which underscore the vital role of a well-institutionalized civil service in achieving good governance.
“The civil service is the backbone of any government. With proper structure, training, and accountability, it can drive sustainable development.
This research aims to uncover the elements that make civil services effective worldwide and propose how those lessons can be localized for Nigeria,” Okesade has said.
The comparative aspect spanning America, Europe, Asia and Africa will provide a broad assessment framework and ensure that recommendations are informed by a diverse pool of governance models.
Olajide Mamud OKESADE,
Permanent Secretary,
Oyo State Government Civil Service
+234-8023252380
okesade@gmail.com
