Paper short abstract:

This paper looks at the potential of the Public-Private-Partnership in revamping the comatose Nigerian public sector. The study relies on secondary sources of data and descriptive method of analysis and is based on the New Public Management theory.

Paper long abstract:

The poor performance of the public sector in service delivery in most countries has intensified the argument about what should be the main role of the state in the economy. This argument has led to the emergence of two groups. Those who believe that the state has failed in its direct economic involvement and hence, should hands off completely and those that argue that though the state has failed in service delivery, it should not be discarded in favour of the market, but rather serious attempts should be made on public sector reforms. The core of these reforms are captured in the concept of new public management, which operates on the maxim that "government should steer and not row". This paper looks at the potential of the Public-Private-Partnership(PPP) in revamping the comatose Nigerian public sector. The study relied on secondary sources of data and descriptive method of analysis. Based on the New Public Management theory, the findings of the study indicate that though the PPP is a good option for Nigeria, but the main challenges remain those of good regulatory framework, corruption, limited capacity of the private sector, and un-cooperative attitude of the people. Based on this, the paper recommends the strengthening of the regulatory framework, intensified fight against corruption, involvement of capable private sector operators and public enlightenment.