Workforce Planning Using Linear Programming for a State Civil Service in Niger State

Workforce planning in Nigerian state civil services is typically driven by administrative tradition rather than analytical optimization, resulting in staffing imbalances across ministries, departments, and agencies. This study applies linear programming to develop an optimal workforce deployment plan for the Niger State civil service, North Central Nigeria. Data obtained from the Niger State Head of Service cover 1,840 established positions across 22 ministries, with information on current staffing levels, skill categories, salary grades, and projected service exits over a three-year horizon. An LP model is formulated to minimize total salary expenditure subject to minimum staffing requirements per ministry, skill mix ratios, budgetary ceilings, and planned recruitment quotas. The model is solved using the simplex method, and results are presented as a three-year phased deployment plan. Findings indicate that the current workforce distribution is characterized by surplus administrative staff in certain ministries and critical shortages of technical officers in infrastructure and health sectors. The optimized plan redirects 312 positions across ministries and reduces projected recruitment needs by 18 percent while meeting all operational requirements. Recommendations include establishing a state workforce planning unit and embedding the LP model within the annual budget cycle. This research provides a replicable framework for evidence-based civil service workforce planning in Nigerian states with comparable administrative structures. Keywords: workforce planning, linear programming, civil service, Niger State, human resource optimization