The Theory of Public Administration and Its Relevance to Nigerian Administrative Ecology

We analytically put the concept of public administration into perspective in this paper. In the process, we traced its genealogy and, its theoretical provisions as well as the implications and challenges of these provisonal at each stage of its development. We specifically zeroed-in on the practical applications of these provisons in a country like Nigeria. Prominence was given to the features (political neutrality, annonymity and permanence) of the Nigerian civil service and their attendent practicability or otherwise within the context of the nation?s ecological factors, slippery adminstrative terrains and cultural pluralism. Within this same context, the issues of representative bureaucracy and its accompanying principles of quota system, federal character, as well as the inherent prevalence of conflict of interest and political patronage engendered in the process. Consequent on these efforts, we conclusively argued that there is need for a re-orientation by the Nigerian citizenry and Public Bureaucrats vis-à-vis the principles of meritocracy and non-partisanship in dealing with socioeconomic, cultural and political issues within the nation?s adminstrative landscape.