ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF FEDERAL CHARACTER PRINCIPLE ON EMPLOYMENT IN NIGERIAN SECURITY AND CIVIL DEFENCE CORPS (NSCDC) HEADQUARTERS ABUJA

Abstract

Despite the constitutional provisions and the recognized importance of the Federal Character Principle, there have been concerns regarding its effective implementation in various sectors especially regarding employment. This study therefore assesses the implementation of Federal Character Principle on Employment in Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Headquarters Abuja 2019 to 2023. The study adopted representative bureaucracy theory and the social identity theory as its theoretical framework but the representative bureaucracy theory was seen to be more relevant to this study. The methodology was documentary which gave room for the review of past employment records from 2019 - 2023 to see the level of quota system and representation. The findings revealed that the NSCDC Headquarters in Abuja did not strictly adhere to the Federal Character Principle and the quota system in its employment practices during the period under review (2019-2023). Also, while efforts were made to ensure representation from all states, there were notable disparities and deviations from the expected ranges of representation. It is recommended that the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Headquarters should ensure strict adherence to the quota system in its employment practices by conducting periodic audits and reviews of recruitment data to identify deviations from the expected state quotas. Also, to ensure that the representation index accurately reflects the implementation of the federal character principle, the NSCDC Headquarters should regularly review and update the representation index calculations based on the latest population data and demographic shifts in each state through the establishment of a target range for the representation index that aligns with the federal character principle guidelines.