Chairman, Federal Civil Service Commission as Chairman, Prof Tunji Olaopa, a political scientist, has underscored the pivotal role of scholarship in shaping governance and institutional reforms in Nigeria.
Tunji, in an address at the National Political Science Association (NPSA) conference, held in Lagos, emphasised his commitment to nurturing the next generation of scholars and practitioners in political science.
Reflecting on his journey from student to mentor, Prof Tunji commended the transformative strides of NPSA under the leadership of Prof Hassan Saliu at the national level and Prof Victor Isumonah in the South West region.
He highlighted the resurgence of NPSA as a leading force in advancing discourse on governance and institutional reforms since his seminal address in 2015.
“Since I voiced my stricture on June 25, 2015, the NPSA has witnessed remarkable transformation and has become a force to reckon with in shaping discourse on governance and institutional reforms in Nigeria.”
“Good governance and development management hinge not only on leadership sophistication and government policy but also on the quality of scholarly contributions facilitated by platforms like NPSA, shaping the discourse on governance and institutional reforms.
“The pervasive perception in Nigeria is that public institutions are not working for the betterment of citizens, backed by experiential agonies such as collapsing infrastructure, unreliable public services, and benchmarking failures in government performance,” he said.
Tunji articulated the pressing need for political scientists to spearhead critical inquiries into power dynamics and institutional frameworks.
He enumerated a litany of unresolved issues, ranging from constitutional reengineering to optimizing public-private partnerships, stressing the indispensable role of scholarly contributions in addressing these challenges.
Drawing attention to the lacuna in Nigeria’s development trajectory, Tunji lamented the pervasive perception of institutional failure and inefficiency.
From dilapidated infrastructure to faltering public services, he underscored the disconnect between government performance and citizen welfare, urging for a paradigm shift towards efficient service delivery mechanisms.
