WHY NIGERIA’S PUBLIC POLICIES FAIL AT THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT LEVEL: ANY HOPE IN THE FOURTH REPUBLIC?

Abstract

This article examines the imperatives of Nigeria's public policy formulation and implementation as basis for determining and measuring development. Why policies fail at the local government level, is a major objective that the paper seeks to achieve. This work evaluated various policies adopted by previous regimes with respect to infrastructure and found that, contrary to findings in other developed democracies, it is apparent that Nigeria's policies are not consistently useful to succeeding governments and by extension, her populace, due to their 'continuity deficiency. In this connection, this article challenges the inconsistency in policy actions in Nigeria, with the view to situating feasible national policy framework in the fourth republic and, recommends the need for sovereign national conference, constitutional review and that, the government be more sensitive and responsive in formulation and implementation of public policy decisions that has direct impacts on the local populace.