Pathological Inertia: Institutional Decay or Structural Rigidity? Evaluating Bureaucratic Barriers to Achieving Sustainable Development Goals
Pathological Inertia: Institutional Decay or Structural Rigidity? Evaluating Bureaucratic Barriers to Achieving Sustainable Development Goals

Summary/Abstract: Nigeria's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) hang in the balance, strangled by pathological inertia, a silent killer manifesting as institutional decay or structural rigidity. Are bureaucratic barriers mere decay or unbreakable rigidity, dooming progress? Distinguishing between institutional decay and structural rigidity, this study interrogate the reason Nigeria remains persistently off track in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals despite extensive policy commitments. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, the research analyses Nigerian governance and budget data from 2015–2023. Findings reveal that structural rigidity, manifested through siloed mandates and rigid procedures, is the dominant constraint on SDGs delivery. Regression results confirm that bureaucratic functionality, not macroeconomic volatility, dictates SDGs performance. Consequently, the paper argues that institutional reforms targeting coordination and budget execution under SDG 16 must precede new policy frameworks to break this cycle of outcome scarcity.

• Details
• Contents