Examining the role of public administration in promoting sustainable entrepreneurship development in Nigeria 1999–2018

Background: Nigeria has been described as among the leading economies in Africa, yet it has experienced cycles of economic boom and recession. Commercial capitalism has left the industrial sectors relatively underdeveloped. As is the practice elsewhere, sustainable entrepreneurship development is the foundation of industrial development. However, in Nigeria, this imperative need is faced with numerous challenges.Aim: Within the framework of development theory, this article examines the role of public administration in promoting sustainable entrepreneurship development in Nigeria, as well as challenges confronting public administrator’s role in this regard.Setting: This study was carried out using the qualitative desktop method in deriving data for answering the question. About 45 literature sources were consulted and analysed in order to explore the interface between public administration and sustainable entrepreneurship development in Nigeria.Methods: This article adopts a qualitative approach and is descriptive in nature, with the researcher setting out to illustrate the association that exists between the dependent and independent variables.Results: This article argues that the undeveloped state of the industrial sectors in Nigeria can be attributed to poor entrepreneurship development that could have served as the basis for rapid industrialisation in the country and the attendant effect of making the country one of the developed countries of the world. The poor state of entrepreneurship development in the country is traceable to factors such as irrelevant policy options and directions, poor funding of entrepreneurship development programmes, an ineffective education system, lack of reliable power supply, and the rentier nature of the economy.Conclusion: It concludes that public administration in Nigeria should ensure policy consistency in terms of continuity and stability, the development of an indigenous sustainable development paradigm, the prevention and punishment of corruption, improved funding of entrepreneurship development programmes and the provision of reliable electricity.