Akinwale Olayemi OGUNYEWO

Department of Public Administration, Faculty of Social and Management Sciences, Achievers University, Owo, Ondo State

DOI : https://doi.org/10.58806/ijsshmr.2026.v5i10n01

Google Scholar Download Pdf
ABSTRACT

The debate between meritocracy and political patronage remains a central concern in public administration, particularly in developing democracies where political considerations often shape bureaucratic processes. This study examines the impact of political connections on administrative efficiency in Nigeria's public service through a qualitative desk review approach. Anchored on Weberian Bureaucratic Theory, the study investigates how merit-based administrative principles and patronage-driven practices influence bureaucratic performance, service delivery, and institutional effectiveness. Adopting a qualitative desk review approach, the study synthesizes evidence from peer-reviewed journal articles, policy reports, and governance studies focusing on meritocracy, political patronage, recruitment practices, and public sector performance in Nigeria and comparable developing-country contexts. The findings reveal a consistent positive relationship between meritocratic recruitment and administrative efficiency. Merit-based systems enhance professionalism, employee commitment, organizational productivity, and policy implementation by ensuring that public positions are occupied by competent and qualified personnel. Conversely, the review identifies political patronage, manifested through clientelism, godfatherism, nepotism, and politically motivated appointments, as a major impediment to bureaucratic effectiveness. The study concludes that strengthening meritocratic principles, enhancing institutional autonomy, promoting transparency in personnel management, and reforming representational policies are essential for improving administrative efficiency in Nigeria's public service. By synthesizing existing evidence and identifying critical institutional challenges, the study contributes to ongoing debates on public sector reform and provides policy insights for building a professional, accountable, and development-oriented bureaucracy.

KEYWORDS:

Meritocracy; Political Patronage; Administrative Efficiency; Nigerian Public Service.

REFERENCES
1) Amin, A., Bamidele, A., & Abdullahi, A. (2024). Public administration reform: An impetus for good governance and political security in Nigeria. Malaysian Management Journal, 28, 125–145. https://doi.org/10.32890/mmj2024.28.7

2) Chiamogu, A., & Chiamogu, U. (2019). Ethnic and nepotic issues in Nigeria: Exploring the bane to public sector performance in the Fourth Republic. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Social Sciences in the 21st Century (pp. 210–222). https://doi.org/10.33422/ics21.2019.07.362

3) Chitamba, A., & Pillay, S. (2025). Meritocracy versus cadre deployment in the Global South: An integrative review. International Journal of Business Ecosystem & Strategy, 7(3), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.36096/ijbes.v7i3.886

4) Elugbaju, W., Aderohunmu, A., Elugbaju, O., & Faloye, O. (2025). Recruitment and selection processes in Nigeria’s public sector: Challenges and opportunities in the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet). Global Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 3(1), 15–28. https://doi.org/10.58175/gjarr.2025.3.1.0021

5) Fernandez, S., & Cheema, F. (2024). Testing the effects of merit appointments and bureaucratic autonomy on governmental performance: Evidence from African bureaucracies. Public Administration Review, 85(6), 1460–1475. https://doi.org/10.1111/puar.13896

6) Ivuoma, D., Chukwuemeka, E., & Nwadiogbu, N. (2025). Government interference in public business in Nigeria: Problems and prospects. Journal of Policy and Development Studies, 19(1), 85–101. https://doi.org/10.4314/jpds.v19i1.8

7) Joseph, R. A. (1987). Democracy and prebendal politics in Nigeria: The rise and fall of the Second Republic. Cambridge University Press.

8) Peters, B. G., & Bianchi, C. (2022). Moving away from patronage: A feedback approach. The American Review of Public Administration, 53(1), 36–48. https://doi.org/10.1177/02750740221127050

9) Sampson, U., & Akinbo, T. (2024). Merit-based promotion and employee commitment in the Nigerian public service. African Journal of Public Administration and Management, 12(2), 45–61.

10) Toral, G. (2023). How patronage delivers: Political appointments, bureaucratic accountability, and service delivery in Brazil. American Journal of Political Science, 67(4), 1017–1033. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajps.12758

11) Udofia, A., Bassey, E., & Edemekong, E. (2021). Organizational culture and civil service performance in Nigeria: A study of Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Education (2010–2021). International Review of Management and Business Research, 10(3), 67–82.

12) Ukeje, I., Ndukwe, C., Emma, C., Ogbulu, U., & Onele, J. (2020). Public service recruitment practices and implications for sustainable development in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. International Journal of Public Administration, 43(4), 361–372. https://doi.org/10.1080/01900692.2019.1636394

13) Weber, M. (1978). Economy and society: An outline of interpretive sociology (G. Roth & C. Wittich, Eds.). University of California Press. (Original work published 1922)

14) Young, M. (1958). The rise of the meritocracy, 1870–2033: An essay on education and equality. Thames and Hudson.

Cite this Article: OGUNYEWO, A. O. (2026). Meritocracy Versus Patronage: The Impact of Political Connections on Administrative Efficiency in Nigeria's Public Service. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCE HUMANITY & MANAGEMENT RESEARCHS, 5(10), 2469-2480. https://doi.org/10.58806/ijsshmr.2026.v5i10n01

VOLUME 05 Issue 10 October 2026