Enhancing Public Institutions in Nigeria through Effective Self- Leadership and Management Practices

The aim of this study is to examine if Nigerian institutional leaders self-leadership and management practices contribute to the effectiveness of public institutions. This study employed a descriptive survey design to investigate the contribution of self-leadership and management practices on the effectiveness of public institutions in Nigeria. The study targeted leadership personnel and staff across public institutions in Rivers State, Nigeria. The sample consisted of individuals directly involved in or influenced by leadership and management practices within these institutions. Stratified random sampling was used to select a sample size from public office holders in Rivers State. Data were collected using a 16 item researcher’s designed questionnaire titled "Effective Self-Leadership and Management Practices Questionnaire (ESLMPQ)". The instrument's reliability was assessed using Cronbach's Alpha, yielding a reliability index of .876. Descriptive statistics including frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation were employed to analyze respondents' demographic variables and address the research questions. Hypotheses were tested using One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) at a significance level of p < .05. The analyses were carried out with the aid of the Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) version 25. The findings indicated that the self-leadership and management practices of Nigerian institutional leaders do not significantly contribute to the effectiveness of public institutions. The study concluded that fostering self-leadership and management practices in Nigerian public institutions is crucial for enhancing accountability, transparency, and overall efficiency. Among its recommendations is the urgent development and implementation of structured leadership development programs tailored to the needs of Nigeria's public sector, emphasizing principles such as self-awareness and adaptive leadership.