ESCAPING THE BOREDOM OF BUREAUCRACY: THE CASE OF THE NIGERIAN HEALTHCARE SYSTEM
Nigerian healthcare system through a sociological lens, focusing on how bureaucratic rigidity undermines effective service delivery. Drawing from the theories of Max Weber, Robert Merton, Michael Lipsky, and Robert Blauner, the paper interrogates how bureaucracy, while intended for order and efficiency, often devolves into a source of institutional inertia. The analysis highlights manifestations of bureaucratic dysfunction across primary, secondary, and tertiary health institutions in Nigeria. The paper concludes that the Nigerian healthcare system is trapped in the boredom of bureaucracy, one that exhausts workers, frustrates patients, and paralyzes innovation. Recommendations are offered for reorienting bureaucratic systems toward responsiveness, autonomy, and outcome-based care. Ultimately, the paper advocates for a human-centered model of healthcare governance as a path towards revitalizing trust, efficiency, and equity in Nigeria's health institutions.
Keywords: Administrative burden, Alienation, Bureaucracy, Health system, Red tape,