Social Marketing and Nigerian Public Sector Reforms: An Empirical Study

This article examined the effectiveness of social marketing strategies used in selling Nigerian public sector reforms from 1999 -2014. In 1999 when the democratically elected government took over the reins of political power from the military, and till date, there have been critical and sustained reforms aimed at improving service delivery in the public service and to bring the public sector at par with international best practices. At the wake of the introduction and implementation of the reforms, there were public outcry and organized protest by a section of Nigerian Workers and other stakeholders who were afraid of imminent change the reforms would engender in the entire public sector. To allay this fear and enlist the support of all categories of stakeholders, the sponsors or initiators of the reforms used social marketing strategies in selling the reforms and at the same time effect a behavioural change among Nigerian public /civil workers and other stakeholders that drive engine of the economy. Findings show that social marketing strategies used in selling the reforms positively impacted on majority of Nigerian workers. This was visibly seen by the way they reflect the precincts of the reforms in their duties. Social marketing also created the right understanding of the purpose of introducing the public sector reforms in the minds of Nigerian workers and other stakeholders. The strategies used in selling the reforms positively impacted on the behavour of Nigerian public /civil servants toward rendering quality service and shunning those attitudes or acts that impede on the delivery of quality service.