By Elizabeth Okwe and Ojone Grace Odaudu

A Professor of New Public Management at the Nasarawa State University Keffi (NSUK) Prof. Charles Nwekeaku has advocated the implementation of New Public Management to accelerate growth and development in Nigeria.


Delivering a lecture titled “New Public Management, National Development and Transformation in Globalized World”.
at the 47th Inaugural Lecture of the university in Keffi, the university Don explained that NPM is a new administrative system that promises to address the perceived inadequacies contained in the Traditional Public Administration system which tend to neutralize it’s efficacy.

According to him, NPM has the potentialities of succeeding where the TPA has failed because of its creativity, efficiency, flexibility, adaptability to new administrative challenges, market oriented posture, good governance as well as inbuilt mechanisms that make NPM withstand the shocks of developmental challenges.

Nwekeaku added that these advantages led him to advocate for all levels of government to get involved in the implementation of NPM, given it’s potential to help accelerate Nigeria’s growth and development.

“The NPM advocates new innovations, ideas, strategies and creativity in meeting the needs of the members of the society who should be seen as loyal and important customers yearning for efficient and effective service delivery from the government.

“It emphasizes the application of the concept of the private sector which sees and treats people or citizens as customers who should get value for their money and who yearn for efficient and effective service delivery from the government,” Prof. Nwekeaku declared.

He explained further that it is in the contextual setting of the NPM that national development can occur as the human and material resources of the state will be actively harnessed for efficient and effective use of the society.

“Nothing practically is working in Nigeria today, and the situation will remain so except the yoke of traditional public administration is yanked off and replaced with the New Public Management,” he said.

The university Don pointed out that in practical terms,the adoption of NPM for national development and transformation will entail the application of principles and practices of corporate governance, alternative service delivery, e governance, and commerce.

“Other are artificial intelligence, financial inclusion, as well as other tools and attitude that engender efficiency, good governance and profitablity in all public institutions and enterprises at all levels of governance,” he said.

In an interview, Prof. Sa’adatu Liman, Vice Chancellor of NSUK aplauded the lecturer for a well researched inaugural lecture and described the topic of the lecture as apt and instrumental in helping to transform Nigeria giving the present economic challenges.

“The lecturer spoke eloquently of the failures of the traditional public administration and the need to apply the new public management system for quality .and growth.

“It it is applied, it will surely bring development to the country because as it is the country has been stagnated due to the continuous use of the traditional public administration procedure,” she said.

Source: City Post

As part of its efforts to boost small and medium enterprises in the state, the Anambra state government has granted tax relief to businesses operating with less than N100,000 capital. This, according to the government, is in consideration of the difficulties faced by businesses in recent times.

The state government has also awarded contracts worth over N600 million for the supply and installation of new medical and non-medical hospital equipment at both the specialist hospital, Fegge, and the General Hospital, Anaku, Onitsha South, and Ayamelum LGAs. The contract was awarded to CHRISLAUG LTD.

This followed the approval of the projects by the State Executive Council meeting in Awka on Tuesday.

A statement by the State’s Commissioner for Information, Dr Law Mefor said the contract is expected to be delivered in three months.

The statement gave details of the contract and other decisions of the council thus:

“LOT 1: SUPPLY AND INSTALLATION OF NEW HOSPITAL MEDICAL AND NON-MEDICAL EQUIPMENT AT THE SPECIALIST HOSPITAL, FEGGE, at the sum of N367,560,500.00. It will be supplied 3 months after the mobilisation fee.

“LOT 2: SUPPLY AND INSTALLATION OF NEW HOSPITAL MEDICAL AND NON-MEDICAL EQUIPMENT AT THE GENERAL HOSPITAL ANAKU at the sum of N285,473,000.00. It will be supplied 3 months after the mobilisation fee

“The Council encouraged investors to take over the management of public enterprises (PEs) in the state by restating that leasing and concessioning PEs are better alternatives to the Government managing them directly.

“The Council restated that the Anti-touting Law of Anambra State remains in force and strongly advised touts to join the Soludo administration’s empowerment schemes for legitimate livelihoods. The Council also approved tax exemptions in Anambra State for groups whose business capitals are less than N100,000 and devolution of more powers to the local governments in the state in the area of sanitation.

“The Council has approved a memo presented by the Commissioner for Water Resources and Power, Engr. Julius Chukwuemeka, for the rehabilitation of the vandalised injection substation at the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Igbariam Campus. The contract was awarded to Kolc Ventures at the sum of N228,147,634.33.

“The contract for the provision of free internet access to the Anambra State House of Assembly Complex, Awka, at the sum of N81,872,000.00 was awarded to PINE HEIGHT GLOBAL RESOURCES LTD to be installed within 2 weeks from the date of the contract award.

“The one for the construction of 151 open stalls at Afuzo Market, Isuofia, to boost local commerce and support economic growth was awarded to Crystal Dove Construction Company at the sum of N279,072,710.75.

Allpee International Ltd won the contract for the road-marking of the Amawbia flyover motorway with a spur through Ezeuzu Junction to ICC, along Amansea Old Road at the sum of N118,716,874.41. It will be delivered in 6 weeks.


“The ANSEC also approved the memo for the supply and installation of Solar Street Lights within the Awka Metropolis Lot 1, Lot 2, and Lot 3.
LOT 1: SUPPLY AND INSTALLATION OF 544 NR SOLAR STREET LIGHTS
awarded to VIGEO-DOME LTD
N460,732,148.31
3 months delivery post mobilization fee.

II: SUPPLY and INSTALLATIONS OF 346 Nr SOLAR STREET LIGHTS.

FRANKTORCH NIG LTD
N385,605,574.49
2 months delivery post mobilization fee.

111: SUPPLY and INSTALLATIONS OF 240 Nr SOLAR STREET LIGHTS.

HONEYDOVE INTEGRATED
N163,800,279.72
2 months delivery post mobilization fee

“The contract for the production and installation of 500 pieces of fluorescent “Solution Is Here” concrete signage for the branding of all landmark infrastructures across the state was awarded to Conifer Konstruction Nig Ltd at the sum of N200,000,013.51

Signed

Law Mefor, PhD
Commissioner for Information
Anambra State

November 25, 2024.