ublic policy is geared at addressing public needs and issues of importance to government. Policy-making is the bedrock of every administration. This is simply because a felt need must have prompted the need of an administration. Therefore, policy making cannot be foregone. Whether with good intention or not, implied within the model of policy-making is the fact that the needs of a given society are a major priority for the policy-makers in the formulation of an action plan.

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However, in Nigeria, policy suffers greatly when it gets to its implementation. Huge resources are provided and huge amount of monetary annually in the budget for policy making but little of such proposals has impacted positively on the people. From every indication, policies are intended to reduce or ameliorate the sufferings of the people but as it is now, the reverse is noted over time to be the case.

Government at all levels always strive to develop public policy in terms of laws and regulations targeted at addressing crucial need in education, health, social welfare and many others for the benefit of the citizens. But often times, the implementation of such policies have always been the problems of each successive government in this country.

There is no gainsaying in the fact that Nigeria is a blessed country. She is endowed with mineral and Human resources but there is no evenly distribution of the economic wealth of the nation which places much on the upper class leaving the lower class to scrabble for the crumbs that falls from their tables. In this kind of situation, people point accused fingers at the government. However, there is always controversial-thought when the government in its feedback announces the amount of money being issued out to meet the need of its citizen. The question will then be: how was it spent?

Unfortunately, those who framed the issue to be addressed with the policy exert enormous amount of influence over the entire process by their personalities, personal interests, political affiliations, etc. Besides, due to the fact that the players involved in policy-making process include lobbying groups and politicians, policies are prone to change whereby resulting to waste of resources.

In my own opinion, our representatives and other leaders are in no small measure ruining the pride of the nation with corruption. Their contributions to the impoverishment of the social, political and economic growth of the nation due to greed and self-centered spirit have left this great nation in Quagmire poverty.

Huge amount of money are paid for contracts which in most cases are not executed or half-done by contractors. Policies suffer a lot in their short, medium and long term. This is why almost all roads are in poor states, medical centres lacking facilities, educational sectors not advanced, and the social amenities so limited to cater for the populace.

There can still be something to point out in some part of the urban areas of the country; rural areas are nothing to write home about. People at the grassroots are severely prone to insecure life without any welfare package. People live the life of hopelessness. Nigerians are being created to be surviving human beings; otherwise, the country might have become a history. Governments at all levels claim the design of various programmed packages for rural dwellers but, the impact is never felt.

Nigeria can rise up from its regressive condition only and only if our leaders in the country can be patriotic in their dealings. If our leadership can want for every Nigeria citizen what they want for themselves, doing the right thing in the right way and at the right time in term of policy formulation and its implementation with absolute sincerity, the countries ego will be boosted.

The gap between policy making and its implementation can be bridged if we are all ready to uplift the flag of togetherness in the country. A situation whereby policy implementation is not left only in the hands of leaders alone but the entire citizen be carried along and proper follow-up and monitoring of all formulated policies are carried out to the later..

Conclusively, the onus is on the government who is the final Arbiter of the people to see that good and well articulated policies are formulated to meet the yearning of our teaming population as well as empowering all appointed overseen government agencies with proper legislative in ensuring an effective and efficient implementation procedure.

These done! Surely, Nigeria will in no doubt be great again.