Leadership Ethics and Public Trust in Nigeria’s Public Sector Organizations: A Study of Selected Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs)

Abstract

This study investigates the influence of leadership ethics on public trust within Nigeria’s public sector, focusing on the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.). It explores how ethical frameworks and organizational/institutional factors moderate this relationship. Adopting a mixed-methods approach, the study collected quantitative data through structured questionnaires from 450 respondents across the three MDAs and qualitative data from 15–18 semi-structured interviews with key informants. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson Product-Moment Correlation, multiple regression, and ANOVA, while qualitative data underwent thematic analysis. Findings reveal that leadership ethics significantly predicts public trust, with higher integrity, transparency, accountability, and fairness associated with increased stakeholder confidence. Both ethical frameworks and organizational/institutional factors strengthen this relationship, demonstrating that policies, codes of conduct, organizational culture, autonomy, and oversight mechanisms are critical in enhancing public trust. Cross-MDA comparisons show that FMoH exhibits higher levels of ethical leadership and public trust compared to EFCC and NNPC Ltd., reflecting sectoral variations in governance practices. Qualitative insights further illuminate challenges such as political interference, resource limitations, and inconsistent policy enforcement, which undermine ethical practices and trust in some MDAs. The study contributes to theory by integrating Ethical Leadership Theory and Institutional Theory in the Nigerian context and offers practical recommendations for improving leadership ethics, institutional structures, and public confidence. The findings underscore the importance of ethical governance as a determinant of public sector credibility and effective service delivery in Nigeria.