CRISIS MANAGEMENT IN AFRICA: A NIGERIAN SOCIAL‐CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE Available to Purchase

Social‐cultural factors can be used to advantage in the Nigerian social system (and most African States) to promote co‐operation between the rich/poor, the rulers/ruled; to mobilise diverse individuals and groups in society; and to discover over‐riding national social values, to bring about national integration and development. This would be an active usage of such factors rather than allowing them to weaken and disrupt the social system as they have during 25 years of political independence. Domination by Western powers, lack of managerial awareness, and conflicts between national objectives of diverse interest groups have been major management constraints militating against effective management of public affairs, with Nigerian leaders often the target of social pressure and (in some cases) becoming victims of their own decisions by succumbing to social pressure in the administration of the state. Future strategy requires effective thinkers and innovative strategy as opposed to inactive or crisis managers presently obtaining in the Nigerian social system.