Government Interference in Public Business in Nigeria: Problems and Prospects

The study examines Government Interference in PublicBusiness in Nigeria, focusing on the key challenges, potentialreforms, and socio-economic outcomes of reducing politicalinfluence in public enterprises. Guided by a descriptive surveydesign, data were collected from 80 staff members across eightselected public business enterprises using a structuredquestionnaire, in-depth interview and focus group discussionguide. The study adopted simple census sampling due to themanageable population size. Data analysis employed mean andstandard deviation, with a 2.5 cut-off point for acceptance, andhypotheses were tested using the Chi-square statistic. Findingsrevealed that government interference often results ininefficiency, political patronage, bureaucratic delays, andmisallocation of resources. However, prospects forimprovement exist through merit-based leadershipappointments, performance contracts, public-privatepartnerships, streamlined bureaucracy, and digital governancesystems. The study concludes that reducing undue politicalcontrol can significantly improve operational efficiency,transparency, and service delivery in public enterprises.Recommendations target key stakeholders, includinggovernment agencies, enterprise directors, legislators, andprivate sector partners, advocating legal safeguards, periodicpolicy assessments, and strategic collaborations to fostersustainable economic and social outcomes..