From Capacity Building to Public-Sector Performance: Examining the Training-To-Reform Gap in Nigeria's Public Service

Abstract

This study examines the persistent gap between capacity building and public-sector performance in Nigeria, focusing on the extent to which training and professional development translate into improved workplace performance and institutional reform. Despite sustained investments by public institutions in workshops, seminars, leadership programmes and other professional development initiatives, corresponding improvements in administrative efficiency, policy implementation, accountability and service delivery remain uneven. The study adopts a qualitative approach based on a review of scholarly literature, policy documents, government publications and institutional reports. It is anchored on Training Transfer Theory, which explains the conditions that influence the application of knowledge, skills and competencies acquired through training in the workplace. The analysis indicates that the training-to-reform gap is shaped by weak alignment between training programmes and organisational needs, limited opportunities for workplace application, inadequate leadership and supervisory support, resistance to organisational change, resource constraints, weak performance-management systems and insufficient post-training evaluation. The study argues that capacity building should be integrated into public-sector reform strategies rather than treated as a stand-alone human-resource activity. It recommends stronger capacity-needs assessment, competency-based training, structured post-training action plans, leadership support, performance-linked evaluation and institutional learning. The study concludes that the value of capacity building should ultimately be assessed by its contribution to measurable improvements in public-sector performance and reform outcomes, rather than by training participation alone.