Towards a Theory of Administrative Resilience in Nigerian Public Sector Organisations: Conceptual Development and Empirical Grounding

This study develops a theory of administrative resilience specifically applicable to Nigerian public sector organisations, addressing the theoretical gap created by the inapplicability of existing resilience frameworks developed in stable Western institutional contexts to Nigeria's volatile administrative environment. Nigerian public sector organisations routinely face administrative disruptions including political transitions, funding crises, natural disasters, conflict spillovers, and technology failures, requiring adaptive capacities that a dedicated theory can better explain and guide. The research employs a theory-building methodology in three phases. Phase One conducts a comprehensive conceptual analysis of existing resilience theories, including Organisational Resilience Theory, Adaptive Management Theory, and Complex Systems Theory. Phase Two collects grounding empirical data through sixty-two in-depth interviews with senior public administrators, crisis management officers, and organisational development experts across Nigeria's six geopolitical zones. Phase Three integrates conceptual and empirical findings into a formal theoretical proposition, subjected to validation through a national expert symposium. The resulting Administrative Resilience Theory for Nigerian Public Organisations (ARTNPO) identifies resilience dimensions, enabling conditions, and inhibiting factors unique to the Nigerian public sector context. This study makes a major theoretical and empirical contribution to public administration science in Africa. Recommendations target the Bureau of Public Service Reforms and the National Emergency Management Agency. Keywords: administrative resilience, public sector organisations, theoretical development, Nigeria, organisational theory