Digital Governance and Administrative Efficiency in Selected Federal Ministries in Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined digital governance and administrative efficiency in selected federal ministries in Nigeria. A descriptive survey research design was adopted, and data were collected from employees of selected federal ministries in Benue State using structured questionnaires. A total of 296 valid responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics and regression analysis to determine the relationship between digital governance and administrative efficiency. The study was guided by the New Public Management (NPM) theory. Findings from the study revealed that digital governance has a statistically significant positive effect on administrative efficiency. Specifically, digital governance was found to improve the speed of service delivery, enhance record management and data accessibility, and strengthen transparency and accountability in the selected ministries. The regression results confirmed that all relationships were significant at p < 0.01, indicating that increased adoption of digital systems leads to improved administrative performance. The study concludes that digital governance is a strong determinant of administrative efficiency in Nigerian federal ministries, although its effectiveness is influenced by infrastructural and capacity-related challenges. Based on the findings, it is recommended that federal ministries should fully automate administrative processes to further improve service delivery speed, and that relevant government agencies should invest in modern digital record management systems and continuous staff training to enhance efficiency and accountability.