Bureaucracy and Administrative Development in Bangladesh and Nigeria: A Comparative Analysis

ABSTRACT

This paper makes a comparative analysis of the bureaucracy and administrative development of Bangladesh and Nigeria. The study finds some commonalities of the bureaucratic behaviors of Bangladesh and Nigeria that help to clarify some common features of bureaucracy in developing countries. Although the study of bureaucracies of Bangladesh and Nigeria attempts to highlight some common features of bureaucracies in developing nations, it also provides insights into explaining some potential differences between the bureaucracies and administrative systems of the two developing nations. The study also helps explain the role of bureaucracies in the administrative development of Bangladesh and Nigeria.

Keywords:

• bureaucracy,
• administrative development,
• public administration,
• administrative corruption,
• administrative accountability

Acknowledgments

The author expresses his gratitude to Dr. Hugh T. Miller, Director and Professor of the School of Public Administration at Florida Atlantic University, and anonymous reviewers, for their comments on the earlier drafts of the manuscript.

Notes

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2. Koehn, P.H. The Evolution of Public Bureaucracy in Nigeria. In Administrative Systems Abroad; Tummala, K.K., Ed.; University Press of America: Lanham, MD, 1982; and Abdulsalami, I. The Structure and Functions of the Civil Service in Nigeria. In Aspects of the 1988 Civil Service Reforms in Nigeria; Sankey, Y.; Ngu, S.M.; Obaitan, K.E., & Anybe, A., Eds.; Ahmadu Bello University Press, Zaria, 2000

9. Zafarullah, H. Administrative Reform in Bangladesh: An Unfinished Agenda. In Administrative Reform in Developing Nation; Farazmand, A., Ed.; Greenwood Press: New York, 2002; Zafarullah, H., & Huque, S.H. Public Management for Good Governance: Reforms, Regimes, and Reality in Bangladesh. International Journal of Public Administration 2001 , 24 (12), 1379–1404

11. Koehn, P.H. The Evolution of Public Bureaucracy in Nigeria. Op. cit

14. Koehn, P.H. The Evolution of Public Bureaucracy in Nigeria. Op. cit. Koehn, P.H. Development Administration in Nigeria: Inclinations and Results.” In Handbook of Comparative and Development Public Administration; Farazmand, A., Ed.; New York: Marcel Dekker, Inc: New York, 1991; Adamolekun, L.; Ayeni V. Nigeria. In Public Administration in the Third World; Subramanian, V., Ed.; Greenwood Press: New York, 1990; Adamolekun, L. Reassessing Thirty Years of Public Administrative Reform Efforts. In Development Management in Africa; Sadig R., and David F.L., Eds.; Westview Press: Boulder, 1995; Sekwat, A. Civil Service Reform in Post-Independence Nigeria: Issues and Challenges. Public Administration Quarterly 2002, 25 (3/4): 498–517

15. Ahmed, E. Development Administration in Bangladesh. Op. cit., 43–49; Zafarullah, H. Administrative reform in Bangladesh: an Unfinished Agenda. Op. cit., 53; Khan, M.M. Reform for Decentralized Development: Bangladesh's Experiment with Major Administrative Reforms/Reorganization in the ‘80s. Op. cit., 153

16. Khan, M.M. Reform for Decentralized Development: Bangladesh's Experiment with Major Administrative Reforms/Reorganization in the ‘80s. Op. cit., 153–154

17. Khan, M.M.; Zafarullah, H.M. Politics of Bureaucracy in Bangladesh. Op. cit., 655; Khan, M.M. Politics of Administrative Reform: A Case Study of Bangladesh. New Delhi: Ashish Publishing House: New Delhi, 1991, 89; Zafarullah, H. Public Administration in the First Decade of Bangladesh: Some Observations on Trends and Development. Asian Survey 1987 , 27, (4), 459–476

18. Khan, M.M. Reform for Decentralized Development: Bangladesh's Experiment with Major Administrative Reforms/Reorganization in the ‘80s. Op. cit.; Zafarullah, H. Public Administration in the First decade of Bangladesh: Some Observations on Trends and development. Asian Survey 1987 , 27 (4), 459–476

20. Ibid., 470–471; Khan, M.M. Politics of Administrative Reform: A Case Study of Bangladesh. New Delhi: Ashish Publishing House: New Delhi, 1991, 90

21. Khan, M.M. Reform for Decentralized Development: Bangladesh's Experiment with Major Administrative Reforms/Reorganization in the ‘80s. Op. cit., 155–165

26. Ahmed S. PARC ponders its fate. Daily Star, October 29, 1999

27. Zafarullah, H. Administrative Reform in Bangladesh: An Unfinished Agenda. Op. cit., 63

29. Balogun, M.J. A Critical Review of the Changing Role of the Public Sector. In Development Management in Africa; Sadig Rasheed, S.; Luke, D.F., Eds.; Westview Press: Boulder, 1995; Koehn, P.H. Development Administration in Nigeria: Inclinations and Results. In Handbook of Comparative and Development Public Administration; Farazmand, A., Ed.; Marcel Dekker, Inc: New York, 1991

30. Balogun, A.A.; Anybe, A.A. The Civil Service Reforms and the Role of Top Bureaucrats in Policy Formulation in Nigeria. Op. cit., 64–65

32. Koehn, P.H. The Evolution of Public Bureaucracy in Nigeria. Op. cit., 212

34. Ibid., 936

35. Koehn, P.H. Development Administration in Nigeria: Inclinations and Results. Op. cit

36. Ibid., 241

37. Dibie, R.; Herron, S.Y. Nigerian Public Administrators’ Perception of the Importance of Managerial Skills. Op. cit

39. Feit, E.W. Military Coups and Political Development: Some Lessons from Ghana and Nigeria. World Politics 1968, 20 (2), 182–186; Koehn, P.H. Development Administration in Nigeria: Inclinations and Results. Op. cit

40. Dibie, R.; Herron, S.Y. Nigerian Public Administrators’ Perception of the Importance of Managerial Skills. Op. cit.; Koehn, P.H. Development Administration in Nigeria: Inclinations and Results. Op. cit

41. Koehn, P.H. The Evolution of Public bureaucracy in Nigeria. Op. cit., Koehn, P.H. Development Administration in Nigeria: Inclinations and Results. Op. cit

43. Ukaegbu, C.C. Are Nigerian Scientists and Engineers Effectively Utilized? Issues on the Deployment of Scientific and Technological Labor for National Development. World Development 13, 499–512; Ojo, O.J.B.; Koehn, P.H. Decentralization and Development Administration in Nigeria. Op. cit

44. Ojo, O.J.B.; Koehn, P.H. Decentralization and Development Administration in Nigeria. Op. cit., 512–514

46. Dibie, R.; Herron, S.Y. Nigerian Public Administrators' Perception of the Importance of Managerial Skills. Op. cit

47. Ibid

49. Ibid

50. Ahmed, E. Development Administration in Bangladesh. Op. cit., 77–85; Khan, M.M. Reform for Decentralized Development: Bangladesh's Experiment with Major Administrative Reforms/Reorganization in the ‘80s. Op. cit.; Koehn, P.H. The Evolution of Public Bureaucracy in Nigeria. Op. cit., 188–215; Dibie, R.; Herron, S.Y. Nigerian Public Administrators’ Perception of the Importance of Managerial Skills. Op. cit., 935

51. Dibie, R.; Herron, S.Y. Nigerian Public Administrators’ Perception of the Importance of Managerial Skills. Op. cit., 931–951; Zafarullah, H. Administrative Reform in Bangladesh: An Unfinished Agenda. In Administrative Reform in Developing Nation; Farazmand, A., Ed.; Greenwood Press: New York, 2002

52. Zafarullah, H.; Huque, S.H. Public Management for Good Governance: Reforms, Regimes, and Reality in Bangladesh. Op. cit., 1385

53. Koehn, P.H. Development Administration in Nigeria: Inclinations and Results. Op. cit

54. Ouma, O.A. Corruption in Public Policy and its Impact on Development: The Case of Uganda since 1979. Public Administration and Development 1991, 11 (5), 477–489; Theobald, R. Corruption, Development and Underdevelopment. Macmillan: London, 1990

56. Koehn, P.H. Development Administration in Nigeria: Inclinations and Results. Op. cit., 245

57. Dibie, R.; Herron, S.Y. Nigerian public Administrators’ Perception of the Importance of Managerial Skills. Op. cit., 932–935

58. Zafarullah, H. Public Administration in the First Decade of Bangladesh: Some Observations on Trends and Development. Asian Survey 1987, 27 (4), 462; Mamoon, M.; Ray, J.K. Inside Bureaucracy, Bangladesh; Jeeva Alternative Words: Texas, 1987; 33

59. Zafarullah, H. Public Administration in the First Decade of Bangladesh: Some Observations on Trends and Development. Op. cit

61. Zafarullah, H. Public Administration in the First Decade of Bangladesh: Some Observations on Trends and Development. Op. cit

62. Koehn, P.H. The Evolution of Public Bureaucracy in Nigeria. Op. cit. 192–193; Koehn, P.H. Public Policy and Administration in Africa: Lessons from Nigeria. Westview Press: Boulder, 1990

63. Abdulsalami, I. The Structure and Functions of the Civil Service in Nigeria. Op. cit., 50–51

64. Koehn, P.H. The Evolution of Public Bureaucracy in Nigeria. Op. cit., 192–193; Koehn, P.H. Public Policy and Administration in Africa: Lessons from Nigeria. Westview Press: Boulder, 1990; Abdulsalami, I. The Structure and Functions of the Civil Service in Nigeria. Op. cit

67. Koehn, P.H. Development Administration in Nigeria: Inclinations and Results. Op. cit

70. Balogun, A.A.; Anybe, A. The Civil Service Reforms and the Role of Top Bureaucrats in Policy Formulation in Nigeria. Op. cit

71. Hope, S.K.R. Development in the Third World: From Policy Failure to Policy Reform. Op. cit., 145

73. Zafarullah H., Huque S.H. Public Management for Good Governance: Reforms, Regimes, and Reality in Bangladesh. Op. cit., 1392; Zafarullah, H. Administrative Reform in Bangladesh An Unfinished Agenda. Op. cit. 2002, 56

81. Dibie, R.; Herron, S.Y. Nigerian Public Administrators’ Perception of the Importance of Managerial skills. Op. cit

87. For example, see Abdulsalami, I. The Structure and Functions of the Civil Service in Nigeria. Op. cit

93. For the developments of civil service reforms in Nigeria, see Omale, I. Organization Development and Change: Lessons from the 1988 Civil Service Reforms in Nigeria. Op. cit