Performance Management Systems and Strategy Alignment in Selected Nigerian Federal Agencies

This study assesses the degree of alignment between performance management systems and strategic objectives in selected Nigerian federal agencies. Despite multiple public sector reform initiatives, performance management in the Nigerian civil service has often been criticized for being decoupled from institutional strategy. The research employs a survey design targeting directors, deputy directors, and heads of planning and strategy units in five federal agencies located in Abuja. A total of 85 respondents were drawn through stratified sampling. Questionnaires and key informant interviews provided primary data. Analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. Findings indicate that only 40 percent of sampled agencies demonstrate consistent alignment between their strategic plans and their performance management indicators, measured by the extent to which individual appraisal criteria map onto institutional goals. The study finds that agencies with implementation oversight committees linked to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation perform better on strategy alignment metrics. Political appointments at senior management levels are identified as a disruptive factor that creates misalignment between strategic plans and operational priorities. The research concludes that federal agencies must redesign their performance management frameworks to explicitly map individual and departmental targets to institutional strategic priorities. Keywords: performance management, strategy alignment, federal agencies, Nigeria, public sector reform.