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12 J. Afr. Admin. 144 (1960)
Nigerianization of the Public Services in Western Nigeria

handle is hein.journals/jrnlafa12 and id is 148 raw text is: Nigerianization of the Public Services in Western Nigeria by L. G. COKE WALLIS, C.I.E. Chairman, Public Service Commission, Western Nigeria Comparison with India IN the Journal's issue of July 1959,1 Lord Hailey referred to his revised African Survey of 1956 in which he had called attention to the great disparity between the recruitment of the indigenous element in the higher grades of the civil services in India, and the provision made in some of those African dependencies which were then nearing a status of self rule. It may be of interest to review the progress of Nigerianizing the higher grades of the services in Western Nigeria since 1956, figures being available from the Regional Treasury's monthly return of staff which began to be pub- lished in that year. These figures show that the percentage of Nigerian officers holding higher grade posts borne on the Government estimates (and excluding the staffs of corporations and other statutory bodies) has increased as follows: End of 1956 ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 56 End Of 1957 ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 64.2 End of 1958 ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 74-9 End Of 1959 ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 79. 12 Lord Hailey further observed that when the transfer of power took place in India in 1947 there were then in the Indian Civil Service 623 members of Asian origin against 504 of European. In the smaller administrative class of Western Nigeria there were at the end of 1959, 125 Nigerian officers against 46 European, though whereas just over half of these Nigerian officers are young men still on probation, the Asian officers of the Indian Civil Service formed a seasoned part of the cadre and were distributed in seniority, Indianization of the Service having been well under way before they were recruited, and in the case of the more junior officers, before they were born. Training For some time the Government of Western Nigeria has recognized the urgency of 'in-service' training for its predominantly young services. Although Nigerian- ization of the administrative class, and also of the professional and technical classes, has proceeded at possibly record pace, and although senior officers have been under much pressure in carrying out rapidly supervening policy changes, time has been found to develop training facilities for the young officer. In no direction has the readiness of the Government to take advice from experts been more marked, and in particular, they were able through the good offices of the Ford Foundation to obtain the advice of an administrator of I J.A.A., Vol. XI; No. 3; p. I15. 2 This percentage is for Nigerians and does not include non-Nigerian West Africans. If the latter are included the percentage is 8o. i. I44