A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE RECRUITMENT POLICY OF THE NIGERIAN CIVIL SERVICE

Abstract

The Civil Service is considered as the “engine of growth and development” in modern society because of its critical role in policy making and implementation. For this reason, it is crucial that qualified and competent talents are recruited to man the service. This study is a critical analysis of the recruitment policy of the Nigerian civil service. To achieve this, the paper made use of secondary sources of information and system theory as its theoretical underpinning. The study established among others that emphasis on connections and informal contacts, and inadequate utilisation of some significant sources of recruitment, constitute the major challenges facing the recruitment of personnel in the civil service. These challenges have created difficulties for the federal civil service to appoint the right persons for the right jobs based on the principles of merit and equal opportunities for all citizens. It is therefore recommended that the prevailing practice based on all kinds of subjective feelings and informal contacts in the recruitment exercise should be discouraged, while emphasising a meritocratic approach.