IT Service Management Maturity in Nigerian Federal Statutory Bodies

Federal statutory bodies in Nigeria operate large ICT environments supporting regulatory and service delivery functions, yet the maturity of their IT service management practices has not been systematically evaluated. This study assesses IT service management (ITSM) maturity in Nigerian federal statutory bodies using the ITIL 4 framework. A structured questionnaire covering ITIL service value chain practices was administered to IT directors and service desk managers at 25 federal agencies in Abuja, spanning regulatory, financial, and infrastructure sectors. Maturity levels were scored using a five-level capability assessment rubric adapted from the ITIL Maturity Model. Supplementary interviews with five ITSM professionals provided qualitative depth. Results indicate a mean ITSM maturity level of 2.1 (repeatable but informal) across the surveyed agencies, with incident management being the strongest practice area (mean 3.0) and continual improvement being the weakest (mean 1.4). Formal service catalogue management is absent in 72 percent of agencies. Service level agreements with internal customers are documented in only 40 percent of agencies. Agencies with externally trained ITIL practitioners show significantly higher maturity scores across all practice areas. The study recommends that the Bureau of Public Service Reform mandate ITIL Foundation certification for all IT managers in federal agencies and develop a Federal Agency ITSM Improvement Programme with a dedicated implementation support team.

Keywords: IT service management, ITIL 4, federal agencies, Nigeria, service maturity