Introduction the unmet need for family planning is a global health burden. The lockdown occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic has reduced access to contraceptives, especially in the developing countries. This study examined the predictors of the unmet need for family planning during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in Nigeria. Methods the study adopted a cross-sectional analytical survey design. A self-designed questionnaire was administered to 1,404 adult respondents aged 18 years and above. The data was generated through the use of online Google survey and analyzed with SPSS version 25. The results were presented using descriptive and logistic regression at p≤0.05. Results fourty-seven percent of the respondents were females and 58.8% were married. The four major reasons for non-access to contraceptive methods during the lockdown were: fear of visiting health facility (77.9%), locked drug/chemist stores (51.2%), the restriction of movement (47.6%) and a lack of access to health care providers (42.9%). Predictors of unmet need for family planning were: aged 26-33 (OR = 1.912, 95% CI: 1.02-3.55), married/cohabiters (OR = 3.693, 95% CI: 2.44-5.58), tertiary education (OR = 0.272, 95% CI: 0.13-0.54), Yoruba ethnicity (OR=1.642, 95% CI: 1.02-2.62), rural residence (OR = 0.554, 95% CI: 0.36-0.85) and 2-4 children born (OR = 3.873, 95% CI: 2.32-6.45). Conclusion a significant proportion of Nigerians experienced an unmet need for family planning during the COVID-19 lockdown. Prioritizing the access to contraceptives during the pandemic would not only allow women and men to correctly plan childbirth, it also reduces maternal risks, poverty and undesirable fertility rates.

Background:The article examined the need to keep up with the growing demands of governance and the best way to improve efficiency and productivity in the Nigerian public service. In response to the demands of environmental dynamics, organisations strive to cope with or manage change.Aim: The aim of this article was to devise a mechanism that would enable civil servants to work better or achieve better results, as well as organisations embark on reorganisation, amongst others, to improve their mode of operations to fulfil their statutory public mandates. Setting:The article focussed on all the parastatals, ministries, departments and agencies that make up the Nigerian public service. Methods:The methodology of this study entailed a conceptual and contextual analysis of literature and official documents to analyse the area of investigation. The article deployed the qualitative research method to analyse data and information to reach a conclusion. Results:The findings revealed that public sector reforms in Nigeria have largely failed to bring about the desired reinvention of the public service. This lack of desired impact has occurred because the reforms were not radical and comprehensive enough in terms of the envisaged changes. Conclusion:To transform society from its relatively underdeveloped polity, transformation must be planned by the government, through its administrative agencies, to be the facilitator of development. To be an effective agent of socioeconomic development, the public service must also adapt itself (through administrative reforms) to cope quickly with dynamic changes and new demands that emanate from its environment.

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Background: This article examined the enormous financial burden placed on the Federal Government of Nigeria by the management and maintenance of its civil servants. The cost of governance in Nigeria continues to rise mainly because of the provision of fringe benefits (such as free residential accommodation, medical services, transport facilities and utilities, including telephone service, water and electricity) to public servants. Yet, public employees’ performance continues to decline, which leads to low levels of human and physical infrastructure development.Aim: This article examines the effects of the rising cost of governance in Nigeria and how to enhance employee performance. The article interrogates the effects of the monetisation of fringe benefits policy (the Monetisation Policy) of the Obasanjo Administration (2003–2007).Setting: The study was conducted in the Federal Civil Service Secretariat in Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria.Methods: This article is anchored in social exchange theory. The study participants comprised 1007 federal civil servants selected from 32 federal establishments. The participants were selected using the total population sampling technique. A structured questionnaire with a reliability coefficient estimate of 0.742 was used to generate the data for the study. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) aided the presentation and analysis of data relating to the research objectives using frequency distribution tables and testing research hypotheses with chi-square statistics and Pearson’s product–moment correlation statistic.Results: The findings revealed that the Monetisation Policy has helped to enhance employee payment packages. A statistically significant positive correlation was found between high monetised benefits and high employee performance. The study found that the Monetisation Policy has had positive effects on employee performance in the federal civil service in Imo State.Conclusion: This study concludes that the Monetisation Policy has helped to enhance employee motivation and morale, and to reduce employee work-related stress, which are vital indicators of work efficiency. These factors do not only affect the contextual performance of the civil servants, but also predispose their task performance. The researchers recommend that the Monetisation Policy should be sustained. It is also recommended that the government should introduce other measures aimed at enhancing the motivation of employees who receive lower monetised benefits so as to further improve the overall performance of the Nigerian civil service.

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