MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN THE NIGERIAN PUBLIC SERVICE (A CASE STUDY OF THE NATIONAL ELECTRIC POWER AUTHORITY PLC)

ABSTRACT

The rationale for the creation of government corporations. (Public Sector/Government Parastatals) is presumably the desire to attain some broad developmental goals and a range of economic objectives.

Over the past decades, the number and variety of public enterprises in developing countries have greatly expanded.

But the overall performance of these enterprises has been rather very disappointing.

The Federal Government has been pumping large amount of terms of capital investment in various corporation for instance NEPA with the aim of realizing certain set objectives.

Inspite of all this effort by the government and some hardworking employees, the NEPA has suffered staggering losses thereby becoming a major drain on national and state government budgets and the principal source of heavy external debts.

However, the study is anchored on “systems model”. This is the principle of “Together we stand divided we fall”, ALL structures have to work harmoniously for the survival of the system. Taking into consideration between administrative inefficiency, Manpower shortage (skilled and unskilled labour), political interference, employment training, job satisfaction as independent variables and effectiveness as dependent variable will be verified as this will make the issue much more clear, this serves as the basis of the study.

TABLE OF CONTENT

CHAPTER ONE

1.0     Introduction                                                 

1.1         General background to the subject matter                 

1.2         Problem associated to the subject matter                  

1.3         Problem that the study will be concerned with 

1.4         The importance of studying the area               

1.5         Definition of important terms                                  

1.6         Chapter references using APA method   

CHAPTER TWO

2.0     Literature review                                          

2.1         The origin of the subject area                        

2.2         School of though within the subject area                  

2.3         The school of thought relevant to the problem of study       

2.4         Different method of studying the problem       

2.5         Summary                                                     

2.6         Reference                                                              

CHAPTER ONE

1.0        INTRODUCTION

The word “management” is a singularly difficult one. Management cut across organizational and life spheres. It is every where and this is the reason it is held responsible for any wrong doing any time and any where. It is in the first place, specifically Americans can hardly be translated into any other language, not even in British English management is every where but only remembered when this go wrong. An author Drucker P.F (1974) said that management is mover while department is the consequence. It denotes a social position and rank but also a discipline and field of study. It denotes a function but also the people who discharge it.

Management however is the judicious use of means to accomplish an end”. American Institute of Management defines it as the art of bringing ends and means together. The art of purposeful action (purpose oriented) in addition the President of American Management Association further holds that management is getting things done enough people.

This management can be define in so many ways:

It can be define as a process under taken by one or more individuals to co-ordinate the activities of others to achieve result not achievable by one person acting alone. It is also an act of getting things done through the cooperative effort of others.

The word “management” is a universal phinomeno that touches every sphares or aspect of our lives.

In American usage management is not adequate as a term for institutions other than business do not speak of management or managers as a rule.

Universities or government agencies have administrators as have hospital.

Armed services have commander other institutions speak of executives and so on.

In all management there is effective and active organ. There is also effect of friction institutions.

This is an accounting reality but not a social reality when the government agency makes their ruling or their decision we know that agency who makes the ruling or the decision and who acts for the agency and as the affective organ of the agency.

Management is the specific organ of the modern institutions hence without institutions there is no management. It is the organ on which the performance and survival of the institutions depends.

1.1     GENERAL BACK GROUND TO THE SUBJECT MATTER

Public corporation are government owned service institutions which are mostly non-profit oriented.

For instance of such institutions or organizations in Nigeria are as follows:

Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC)

National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) which is the case study.

The Nigerian Railway corporation is one of the oldest public corporation we have in Nigeria followed by National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) in the country.

At past years due to gross neglect financially by the government as well as mismanagement by those entrusted with such duties: the corporation is in a state of disarray. In past years ago the government has initiated moves to revitalize the corporations and welcomes any useful contributions to chose Nigerians to their top and middle management position. The government has been quiz money into management development in institutes to enable them to expand their training facilities still their performance has not kept up with growth.

They illustrate the lay in the case of National Electric Power Authority Plc which comes into existence on 1898.

The aim of the National Electric Power Authority Plc in Nigeria between the central seat of colonial government in Lagos State and other parts of Nigerian country and partly to promote the accomplish and evaluation of agricultural and mineral resources for export mainly to the United State.

1.2        PROBLEM ASSOCIATED WITH THE SUBEJCT MATTER

The  top executives of private and public sector of the Nigerian economy at a general meeting done by the Nigerian Institute of Management. A man called Mr Allison Ayida that is now retired from being secretary to the Nigerian Federal Government deplore said that the problem of management had affected the enterprise in the country.

As a suddenly measures he advice that immediate steps can be taken courage in these level and quantity of passable management standard.

This types of designate is scarcely new because for some time now management has been recollect as Nigeria major economic development bottleneck.

Management has become more topical since the federal government promulgated the Nigerian enterprises promotion degree on effective March 31, 1974 by which is stirring to accomplish it’s purpose in many Nigerian enterprises been indigenously possess and repress.

One managerial implication of law has been the foreign company are been demand.

1.3        PROBLEMS THAT THE STUDY WILL BE CONCERNED WITH

They faces the problem of scarcity in technical capacity. Shortage of qualified manpower and glaring lack of capital. The problem of lack adequate managerial skills which has often had more effect on production than the lack of adequate financial reserves.

The problem of assessing training scheme. The problem of growth and expansion which has made the problem of training more acute and has brought some public corporation the need to have a comprehensive training.

Average Nigeria Attitude to work: This means most of the workers in NEPA are not willing to work but want to be paid at the end of the month.

1.4        THE IMPORTANT OF STUDYING THE AREA

The main aim of this study is to look into allegations leveled against public corporations with particular reference to NEPA which are administratively ineffective.

The purpose of identifying and analyzing the contributory factors capable for these anomalies.

It establish to be in congruence with the aforementioned allegations and to find out how these anomalies could be corrected so that the public corporation (NEPA) will be more efficient and effective.

It is important to find out this research which will help us in solving the administrative problem that had hitherto been a clog in the wheel of NEPA in particular.

1.5        DEFINITION OF IMPORTANT TERM

Management can be defined as a process undertaken by one or more individuals to co-ordinate the activities of others to achieve result not achievable by one person acting alone.

It is also an act of getting things done through the co-0operative effort of others.

Management is also a  process of co-ordinating the activities of other to achieve the define objective or result not achievable by one person acting alone.

Management define by Drucker P.F he said that management is mover which means that it is every where in the country. Drucker also define management as a multi purpose organ that manages managers and also manages workers to work. To many student it is an academic discipline. Management is a universal phenomenon that touches every sphares or aspect of lives.

Management is also a pervasive, universal and ubiquitous professions.

It can also be define as the co-ordinating of all the resources both human and material through the process of planning, organizing, directing and controlling in other to achieve organizational objectives which can be a product or service desired by some members of the society. Paul mall defines management as a factor of production concerned with the organization and co-ordination of the other factors of production.

According to Koontz and Donnell O. they defines management as the process of getting things done through and with people.

According to Ejiofor P.O defines management as the art or science of working in an organization through being directing and co-ordinating the activities of people to achieve ones personal goals in the context of the goals of one’s organization.

Management can be define as a systematic, scientific way of working in an organization by which people direct and are being directed by others so that human being and material resources of the organization are channeled towards attaining both the individuals as well as an integrated balanced company.