VALUE ORIENTATION FOR NATIONAL CHANGE IN NIGERIA: TOWARDS A BETTER SOCIETY

BY

TANKO AHMED fwcSnr Fellow (Security & Strategic Studies) NIPSS,

Kuru – Jos, NIGERIA+2348037031744 ta_mamuda@yahoo.com

This is the SLIDES of a Draft Article sent to the Public

Procurement Journal of the Bureau of Public Procurement,

Abuja - NIGERIA

Values and Change in Human Society

• Values evolve with the needs of time, space, and events as catalysts for change in human society.

• This paper discusses value orientation for national change in Nigeria, and apportions responsibilities to who, where and how the process goes, in lieu of existing literature gap.

• The paper propositions the Chartism reform principles for better society as the framework for instilling values for change.

A Case Study Design• This case study design demonstrates that

government agencies are value enforcers and change agents under purposeful organizational culture and transformative leadership.

• The paper recommends the reinforcement of existing interventions like the SERVICOM as effective spearheads in value orientation for national change in Nigeria.

INTRODUCTION“… climate of discipline …”

– Chinua Achebe (1984, p. 29)

Background

• Values acquiesce to reciprocal evolution with time, space and events according to needs of human society (Gallagher, 2001; Ugwuegbu, 2011; Adedeji, 2012).

• Nigeria is continuously going through social, political and economic time, space and event of change requiring value orientation on the principles of right and wrong (Adedeji, 2012).

• The process for national change aims at the need to evolve the climate of discipline towards a better society (Achebe, 1984; Akinyemi, 2010).

Intricacies of Value Orientation for National Change

• The intricacies of such programmes often create strategic challenges of who, where and how to apply or implement desired core values (NIPSS, 2005; Waggoner, 2010).

• These are better observed in examples of existing institutional frameworks among leading agencies responsible for national orientation, leadership development and value or regulatory enforcers.

Institutional Framework• The banner of national orientation is carried by the National

Orientation Agency (NOA), established to conduct ‘value orientation for national change’.

• The National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) conducts research on policy and strategy, and equip national leaders with intellectual skills and capacity to lead as transformational agents of change ‘towards a better society’.

• The SERVICOM or Service Compact is an agency with a Charter for value oriented service delivery with network of referee-representatives in all government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to ensure adherence to charted principles of value orientation for national change.

Literature• Literature and authoritative commentaries on the functions of

NAO, NIPSS and SERVICOM revolve around performance and inadequate impact by these agencies and the need for effective results (NIPSS, 2005, Akinyemi, 2010, Adedeji, 2012).

• The NIPSS study theme of 2005 on National Value Orientation for Sustainable Socio-Economic Development’ concludes and recommends for the need to pursue values orientation for national development (NIPSS, 2006).

• This literature narrative covers the functions, responsibilities and effectiveness of the trio of NAO, NIPSS and SERVICOM. Also, Waggoner (2010) analyses the importance of ethics in leadership and how ethics produces effective leaders.

• Akinyemi (2010) evaluates Nigeria’s latest orientation slogans of ‘Great People, Great Nation’ and concludes that Nigerians indeed aspire for a Great Nation.

Theorem• Chartism Principles grew out of early the practice of using

Charters to established needed reformative values in formal written statements, laws or regulation describing rights and responsibilities aimed betterment of conditions for citizens (Ugwuegbu, 2001; Saunders, 2008; Breton, 2011).

• Backed by the Schwartz theory of Basic human values, Chartism principles occur as culturally universal values often domesticated and introduced for betterment of human society (Swartz, 2012).

• The institutional responsibilities of the three main agencies of NAO, NIPSS and SERVICOM also correspond to universally acceptable basic human values as Chartism principles.

• It is on this premise that this paper attempts to narrate and test the assumption that values or principles are introduced for national change in Nigeria.

PROBLEM STATEMENT

The Problem

• The main thrust for value orientation for national change is statutorily headed by the NOA with a structure and network at the federal, state and local government tiers MDAs across Nigeria.

• The required transformative leadership would come from the dual mandate of NIPSS with continuous infusion of highest level cadre leaders equipped with knowledge, skills, network and outreach to lead the country to desired goals.

• The charted responsibilities of SERVICOM are for ethical and regulatory enforcement at MDAs’ level.

• However, the issues of who takes responsibility; at what point; and how to go about it remain dismal to desired results.

Points of Inquiry

a. What are the concepts and correlation of value orientation, national change and towards a better society?

b. Which value principles aim at national change in Nigeria?

c. Who is responsible for implementation of these principles?

d. Where are the points of impact for desired results?

e. How can desired impact be achieved?

CONCEPTUAL CLARIFICATIONS

Value Orientation

• Values are purposeful principles or standards observed and practiced as moral or ethical rules of conduct or interactions in human affairs.

• Orientation indicates direction, trend, position, process or policy assigned for purpose of development towards set goals.

• Value orientation signifies principles set for the achievement of given goals (Gallagher, 2001; Ugwuegbu, 2011; Adedeji, 2012).

• This paper holds value orientation as alignment of principles and practices to set goals for national change.

National Change

• National change denotes the process for passage of a nation from one stage to another often through deliberate development policies or programmes.

• Close to this definition is social change connoting deliberate alteration in social order of society including changes in institutions, behaviours, attitude, relations and general directions of leadership and citizenry (Hafer, 1992; Shack, Liu & Wang, 2002 & 2011).

• This paper proposes national change as the injection of certain values into institutional processes towards a better society.

Towards a Better Society

• The phrase ‘towards a better society’ signifies deliberate efforts in moving the Nigerian nation forward to Greatness (Akinyemi, 2010).

• The NIPSS motto of ‘towards a better society’ also signifies the thrust of its dual mandate of policy research into problem-solving and training of senior executives as policy makers (Obasanjo, 1979; Soladoye, 1985; Adeyemi, 1996; Ahmed, 2014).

• Products of NIPSS are equipped as transformational leaders, change agents and enforcers of value orientation for national change (Durojaiye, 2008; Aremu, 2016).

VALUE ORIENTATION FOR NATIONAL CHANGE

Trend of value Orientation for National Change in Nigeria

• Value orientation treads along clear national direction to benefit as well as facilitate desired national goals for development.

• Ugwuegbu (2011) explains that in Nigeria, value orientation is aimed at resolving the crises of politics, disunity, religious bigotry, tribalism, corruption practices and indiscipline.

• This trend is also geared toward the transformation of leadership and citizens to instill patriotism, encourage hard work, and build better society.

The Score Board

• Conclusive statements from authoritative observers and contributors over the years indicate that there is a lot to be desired in the process of value orientation for national change in Nigeria (Durojaiye, 2008; Akinyemi, 2010; Ugwuegbu, 2011; Ahmed, 2014; Aremu, 2016).

• Durojaiye (2008) decries the unfair aspersion of the Nigerian public towards NIPSS Alumni.

• Akinyemi (2010) doubts the national direction taken by Nigeria to be truly great.

• Also, Ugwuegbu (2011) paints a gloomy picture of rightful orientation.

• Aremu (2016) indicates the lack of collaboration among stakeholders and influencers of positive change in Nigeria.

CONCLUSION

Summary

• The paper established the problem of ineffective implementation of existing charted principles into the process of value orientation for national change in Nigeria; and apportioned primary responsibilities and challenges to 3 key agencies including NOA, NIPSS and SERVICOM.

• It sets out to correlate value orientation, national change and betterment of society and found combined performance gap of lack of clear national direction, dearth of transformative leadership and unreliable implementation of existing charted principles.

Conclusion

The paper concludes that the triad of NOA, NIPSS and SERVICOM are critical to effective value orientation for national change towards a better society in Nigeria.

Recommendations

The paper recommends the following: a. NOA should create and mobilize the entire

citizenry in a clear national direction; b. NIPSS should emphasize on transformative

leadership style in its policy research and training of senior executives and policy makers; and

c. All SERVICOM outlets in MDAs at all levels should be made to implement existing charted principles of value orientation for national change.

THANK YOU!

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