Title:
ECOLOGICAL VARIABLES AND PUBLIC POLICY IMPLEMENTATION IN NIGERIA: EVIDENCE AND REALITY

Authors:
John E. Bassey ,Nigeria

Abstract:
A policy, however, carefully formulated is worthless if it is not implemented in an appropriate way to ensure maximum impact is achieved to address that particular policy purpose. The critical elements in both the internal and external environments and in the implementation processes in Nigeria account for the gap between goals and achievements. Nigeria is a good example in the formulation of policies, but poor at implementation. Acknowledging this wide gap between policy formulation and implementation, this study examined ecological variables influencing public policy implementation in Nigeria. The study adopted a descriptive method of enquiry, while David Easton system approach was used as a theoretical guide. Data were obtained from secondary sources like textbooks, journal articles, government publications and the internet. They were content analyzed. The study found that public policy formulation and implementation cannot be done in a vacuum, but in an environment, hence, environmental variables exert significant influence on policy success or failure in Nigeria. It was also discovered that the high culture of non-implementation of public policy in Nigeria can be attributed to lack of understanding of the policy environment/cycle by policy actors and the ego of politicians. The study concluded that, to bring about national development, policy makers must study and understand variables inherent in the environment and the impact such variables would have in any given policy. Also, public office holders must incorporate in their blue print, the policies/programmes of their predecessors because government is a continuum. The current practice to jettisoned every policy of the previous administration is counterproductive, a drain on the nation resources and a precursor to policy failure in Nigeria.