PUBLIC SECTOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND PERFORMANCE OF SELECTED LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS IN NIGER STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The purpose of this paper was to investigate the relationship between Public Sector Entrepreneurship and the performance of local government areas in Niger State. Public Sector Entrepreneurship was measured by innovativeness, risk-taking, proactiveness, autonomy, competitive aggressiveness and public service motivation (PSM) and the performance of the local governments was measured by financial and non-financial performance. A sample of 1,396 employees (male n = 1,017, female n = 379) were selected through a multistage sampling technique. The variables of the study were measured using 5 Likert scale and the data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Structural Equation Model (SEM). The mean analysis showed that PSE and the performance of the local governments are low 1.55 and 1.77 respectively. The findings from the SEM analysis revealed that iinnovativeness and proactiveness were found to have direct, positive, and statistically significant correlations with local government performance. Risk-taking, competitive aggressiveness, and autonomy all produced statistically significant mixed (positive and negative) results. The results of the SEM study also revealed that PSM is strongly connected to local government performance. However, PSM was not found to be statistically significantly associated with local government performance. So, it was suggested that local governments should encourage Public Sector Entrepreneurship as a way of alleviating developmental challenges at the local level as Public Sector Entrepreneurship will will result in the provision of clear visions through proper resource management, recruitment of qualified personnel, and full capacity utilization of resources, resulting in the maximum provision of public goods.