Nigeria’s second return to democratic regime in 1999 poses the problem of adjustment for the higher cadre of the country’s civil service. Under military regime the civil service had, for the best part, combined political and bureaucratic roles. The return to a democratic administration implied the shedding of the role of policy articulation. Presidential Democracy equally imposes additional context for political restructuring by the civil service. These are the issues examined in this article. It analyzes the role of the Head of service in refocusing the civil service for more efficient service delivery. It also examines the implications of this refocusing and its major tenents. The article concludes by positing that the new system will create a much better career-centered environment and a potentially result-oriented civil service than we have had in the past.

Nigeria’s second return to democratic regime in 1999 poses the problem of adjustment for the higher cadre of the country’s civil service. Under military regime the civil service had, for the best part, combined political and bureaucratic roles. The return to a democratic administration implied the...