Managing Workforce Diversity in the Nigerian Public Service: Challenges for Service Delivery and Growth

Abstract

Workforce diversity is total picture of differences among employees in an organization. The study examined managing workforce diversity in the Nigerian public service, challenges for service delivery and growth. The objectives of the study were to examine the effects of workplace discrimination in the Nigerian public service; to assess how non-performance factors considerations influence recruitment, appointment and service delivery in the public sector; and to evaluate the institutional limitations and challenges of diversity management in the Nigerian public service. The study adopted Representative Bureaucracy theory as theoretical framework and qualitative content analysis as a methodology. Findings revealed that there is still discrimination in terms of gender, age, and ethnicity in Nigerian public service, that non-performance factors are still in use in employment and appointment consideration in Nigeria public service, and that Federal Character Commission is weak in enforcement of Federal Character Principles. The study recommended that public service organizations should adopt organizational culture devoid of discrimination, that focus of public organizations on employment should be on merit principle and that the Federal Character Commission should enforce and monitor compliance of federal character principle in all public service organizations.