Abstract:
This study investigates the issue of staff training and development in local government in Nigeria by the local government service commission with a particular focus on Enugu state Local Government Service Commission from 1999 to 2009. Adopting structural functional analysis as its theoretical framework of analysis, three hypotheses were formulated to guide the investigation. To validate these hypotheses and the principal research questions of the study, data were collected through primary, sources (observation and questionnaire as well as interviews) and secondary sources: textbooks, internet materials, journals, newspaper, and government documents. The data from questionnaire which contained twenty structured questions designed in both open and close ended style was validated and administered accordingly. The data from the questionnaires were subjected to statistical analysis. Results revealed that, although Enugu state Local Government Service Commission implement staff training and development in local government, inadequate funding of training and development programmes and selection of staff for training not based on the recruitment needs of local government hinder staff training and development in the local government of Enugu state. Based on these findings, the study recommends among others, enhanced regulatory capacity on the part of the government for effective enforcement of staff training and development policies in local government; increase funding of training and development programmes and adopt measures to ensure that selection of staff for training and development is based on the recruitment needs of local government and periodic evaluation of training and development programmes.
