Manpower Development And The Performance Of Civil Servants In Anambra State, Nigeria, 1996-2006

ABSTRACT

This thesis examined the manpower development programmes and policies in the Anambra State

Civil Service between 1996 and 2006, and their impact on the performance of civil servants in

the state. The specific objectives of the study were: to find out whether manpower development

programmes and policies in the Anambra State Civil Service led to professionalization of civil

servants in the state, investigate the effect of political instability on manpower training and

development in the state; and examine how development programmes in the state civil service

affected the performance of civil servants in the state.

Data for this study was generated through primary and secondary sources. The primary data were

collected through questionnaire and oral interviews. The population of this study was the civil

servants in Anambra State as at December, 2006 which was 4,629. Stratified Random sampling

method was used in the administration of the questionnaire that covered both the senior and

junior staff from the twenty-three (23) ministries and extra-ministerial departments in the state.

The workforce was stratified as follows: Senior staff (both senior and middle management staff,

3,019; while the junior staff was 1,610 which gave the ratio of two senior staff to one junior staff

(2:1). Computing for a confidence level of 95% using EPIINFO version 6-computer software

package, an expected frequency 25% and worst expected frequency of 20% was arrived at,

thereby having a total sample size of 348. 10% non-response was also computed which gave 35,

thereby making the final size 383. Questionnaires were randomly distributed to 12 senior and 6

junior staff respectively in each ministry/extra-ministerial department, observing the ratio 2:1.

Inferential and descriptive statistics were used in the analysis of the questionnaires collected.

Oral interviews were equally conducted with the Director of Training in the Office of the Head

of Service, and Training Officers in the 23 ministries/extra-ministerial departments. In addition,

secondary data were sourced from books, journals, governments gazettes and internet materials.

Finally, David Easton’s system theory was used to analyze the study. This study is divided into

six chapters:

The study revealed that manpower development in the Anambra State Civil Service have not

improved the performance of Civil Servants in the state. The study showed that manpower

development programmes in Anambra State civil service between 1996 and 2006 did not lead to

professionalization of the civil servants in the state. This was because of the poor or almost nonfunding

of these development programmes by the state which denied more than 95% of the civil

servants of the opportunity of developing themselves in their specialized areas since they joined

the civil service. Consequently, political instability which resulted from frequent changes in the

political leadership of the state to a large extent affected negatively the implementation of this

policy on development of civil servants in the state. It is evident as shown in the study that

Anambra state had a chequered history occasioned by constant political crisis which made the

respective Chief Executives in the respective regimes to devote more time and resources to

ensure that their positions were secured at the expense of other development programmes,

including manpower development programmes in the state civil service. 98% of the senior staff

and 96% of the junior staff in the Anambra State civil service admitted this. Poor implementation

of manpower development programmes and policies negatively affected the performance of the

civil servants in the Anambra state civil service as shown in the study. Majority of both the

senior and junior staff in most ministries/extra-ministerial departments have been so much

frustrated that they could not achieve higher level of performance in their jobs. This seemed to

have restricted the Anambra State Civil Servants to low performance in their job. Therefore 85 %

of the Senior Staff and 78% of the junior staff expressed lack of confidence in the manpower

development exercise. The study therefore concludes that the manpower development

programmes in the Anambra State Civil Service were poorly implemented or carried out and

therefore, left much to be desired to enhance performance of the civil servants in the state.