Public Administration and Crisis Management in Africa: Evaluating Government Resources to COVID-19 Pandemic in Nigeria

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic posed one of the most formidable governance and crisis management challenges in Africa’s modern history. In Nigeria, the pandemic exposed structural weaknesses in public administration, including fragile health systems, bureaucratic bottlenecks, corruption, and inadequate preparedness. This study evaluates how Nigerian government institutions managed resources in response to the pandemic, with particular focus on transparency, efficiency, and accountability in crisis governance. The paper investigates the mobilization and distribution of health, financial, and human resources, and examines the role of intergovernmental relations, public-private partnerships, and international aid in shaping Nigeria’s pandemic response. Using a qualitative desk-based research method supported by secondary data, policy documents, and reports from international organizations, the study provides insights into the successes, limitations, and lessons learned from Nigeria’s COVID-19 experience. Findings reveal that while Nigeria demonstrated resilience through rapid establishment of task forces, emergency funding, and adoption of digital monitoring platforms, the response was hindered by weak institutional frameworks, uneven state-level implementation, and lack of public trust in government agencies. The study concludes that sustainable crisis management in Africa requires strengthening of governance structures, investment in public health infrastructure, and institutionalization of accountability mechanisms. It recommends that Nigeria and other African states should adopt anticipatory governance frameworks, mainstream crisis response into public administration reforms, and build citizen centered approaches to disaster management. This paper contributes to scholarship on crisis governance and offers policy-relevant insights for building resilience in African public administration systems.