Public Accountability and Policy Outcomes in Nigeria's Public Sector : A Stewardship Theory-Based Approach

Scholarly works have shown the significance of accountability in some specific aspects of public sector management in different public organizations around the world. It is stated to be a crucial tool that tailors enterprises toward the effectiveness and efficiency of service delivery and public sector management. However, in terms of public policy outcomes, there is a paucity of literature on the subject matter. Thus, this paper explored the relationship between public accountability and policy outcomes, using Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) as a case study. The research was conducted using a survey design with a pre-structured questionnaire. In addition, the study adopted a stratified sampling technique to select the 359 respondents from the Oil Producing Community Area of Delta State, which represented 89.97 percent of the 399 total sample. The Stewardship Theory by Thomas Jones is used as the study’s theoretical framework of analysis. Data collected were analysed using frequency, percentage, and Pearson correlation coefficient to evaluate the hypothesis. The study revealed that accountability significantly correlates with public policy outcomes. This was reinforced as there is a positive increase by 35.5% in policy outcomes as a result of the considerations of accountability. It was concluded that accountability significantly predicts or explains policy outcomes. The study showed that accountability is a check and balance tool in the implementation of public policies and can guarantee the performance expectation of public organizations