Public Relations and Intergovernmental Relations Management in Nigeria

A major goal of public administration is to engender good governance in a state. In the process, precious time and resources are wasted on account of avoidable litigation among agencies of government while antagonism, rather than cooperation often emerged from such relationship. The study has examined the role of Public Relations (PR) in the management of Intergovernmental Relations (IGR). The Overlapping-Authority Theory of IGR and the Two-Way Symmetrical Communication Theory of PR constitute the theoretical framework. The population of the study comprises civil servants and government officials in federal, state and local governments in Ogun State, Nigeria, West Africa. Purposive and multi-stage sampling technique was used to select respondents on Senatorial Districts. Responses were analyzed, interpreted and presented through the use of descriptive statistical tools. It concludes that Public Relations is important in the management of Intergovernmental Relations for good governance. The study recommends that there should be better use of Public Relations through improved funding and engagement of qualified personnel in the three arms and tiers of government in Nigeria.