Civic Education · Lesson 8

Public service, youth empowerment & civil society

WAECNECO

What the syllabus asks

WAEC: meaning, skills, benefits, government efforts; Section C Topic 16 (part) Civil society: meaning, types, functions, qualities, problems; Topic 17 Public service in a democracy: meaning, functions, problems, reasons for poor performance, ways of improving it

NECO: meaning, skills, benefits, government efforts; Section C Topic 16 (part) Civil society: meaning, types, functions, qualities, problems; Topic 17 Public service in a democracy: meaning, functions, problems, reasons for poor performance, ways of improving it

What you will learn

Define public and civil service and state their features.
Explain the functions of the public service in a democracy.
Identify the problems of the public service, reasons for poor performance and ways of improving it.
Define civil society and identify its types, functions, qualities and problems.
Explain youth empowerment and the skills it involves.
Describe the benefits of youth empowerment and government efforts to achieve it.

Key points

Public service: all government institutions and employees that carry out policy; civil service is its core (ministries, departments).
Minister = political head; Permanent Secretary = administrative head; Federal Civil Service Commission (s.153).
Features: permanence, neutrality, anonymity, hierarchy, merit, rules, federal character.
Functions: implement and advise on policy, draft bills and budgets, provide services, collect revenue, keep records, continuity.
Problems: corruption, political interference, nepotism, poor pay, red tape, ghost workers, poor training.
Remedies: merit, training, good pay, anti-corruption (Code of Conduct Bureau, EFCC, ICPC), technology, Public Complaints Commission (1975).
Civil society: voluntary, non-governmental, non-profit organisations (NGOs, unions, professional bodies, faith and community groups).
CSO functions: accountability, rights protection, civic education, election monitoring, advocacy; problems: funding, harassment, partisanship.
Youth empowerment: skills, resources and opportunities for self-reliance; youth = 15–29 (2019 policy).
Efforts: NYSC 1973, NDE 1986, SMEDAN 2003, YouWiN 2011, N-Power 2016, NELFUND 2024.

Start here: Meaning of public service and civil service

When you register for an exam, collect a birth certificate, see a doctor at a general hospital or meet a police officer, you are dealing with the public service. Ministers and governors come and go, but these workers keep government running every day.

Public service refers to all the institutions and employees of government (federal, state and local) that carry out government policies and provide public services. It includes the civil service, parastatals and agencies, the police, the armed forces, the judiciary’s staff, teachers and health workers in government institutions.

Civil service is the core of the public service: the ministries, departments and extra-ministerial offices staffed by permanent, non-political officials (civil servants) who advise and implement the policies of the government of the day.

Every civil servant is a public servant, but not every public servant is a civil servant: a soldier or an employee of a parastatal is a public servant but not a civil servant in the strict sense.

Origin of Nigeria’s civil service

Nigeria’s civil service grew out of the colonial administration, which was set up mainly to keep order and collect revenue. Senior posts were held by British officials until the 1950s, when Nigerianisation policies began replacing them with trained Nigerians. After independence in 1960, the civil service expanded rapidly as government took on more roles in education, health and the economy. Under military rule, civil servants played a large role in policy because there were no elected legislatures, and the service became more centralised. Since 1999, the service again works under elected leaders and the oversight of the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly.

Structure

At federal level, the civil service is headed by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation. Each ministry has a political head (the minister) and an administrative head (the Permanent Secretary). The Federal Civil Service Commission, established by section 153 of the Constitution, appoints, promotes and disciplines federal civil servants. States have their own civil service commissions.

Worked example 8.1

Distinguish the minister from the Permanent Secretary.

The minister is a political appointee, leaves when the government changes and is the policy head.
The Permanent Secretary is a career civil servant, stays when governments change and is the administrative head and chief adviser.

Political versus permanent.

Try it yourself. Which body appoints and disciplines federal civil servants?

Show solution

The Federal Civil Service Commission (section 153).

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Practice questions

1. The public service consists of

all government institutions and employees that carry out policy
only elected politicians
private companies
NGOs

Show answer

A: all government institutions and employees that carry out policy
The civil service is its core.

2. The political head of a ministry is the

Permanent Secretary
Director
Head of Service
Minister

Show answer

D: Minister
The Permanent Secretary is the administrative head.

3. Which is a feature of the civil service?

Temporary tenure
Election of officers
Permanence
Partisanship

Show answer

C: Permanence
Also neutrality and anonymity.

4. Ghost workers in the public service are

contract staff
names on the payroll of people who do not exist or do not work
hardworking staff
retired officers

Show answer

B: names on the payroll of people who do not exist or do not work
A form of fraud.

5. The Federal Civil Service Commission is established by section

Show answer

A: 153
It appoints and disciplines federal civil servants.

Key words

Public service: All employees and institutions of government that carry out public policy, including ministries, parastatals, the police and the armed forces.
Civil service: The ministries, departments and permanent officials who administer government, a core part of the public service.
Civil servant: A permanent, non-political employee of a government ministry or department.
Parastatal: A government-owned agency or corporation set up to perform a specific function, e.g. NAFDAC.
Anonymity: The principle that civil servants do not take public credit or blame for policy.
Neutrality: The principle that civil servants should not be partisan.
Permanence: Civil servants remain in office when governments change.
Red tape: Excessive rules and paperwork that delay action.
Civil society: Voluntary, non-governmental, non-profit organisations through which citizens pursue shared interests.
NGO: Non-governmental organisation: a private, non-profit body pursuing a public purpose.
Pressure group: An organised group that seeks to influence government policy without seeking to form the government.
Youth empowerment: Giving young people skills, resources and opportunities to become self-reliant and active citizens.

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