Abstract

Obinna O. E. Oleribe

Health services management, which is described as the process of mobilizing and deploying resources for the efficient provision of effective health services, has taken the center stage in business discussions across the globe. Poor management is unanimously blamed for the diminishing fortunes of most health industries. The present study was designed to review the managerial skills of health administrators and their effects on health care services in Nigeria. It was also programmed to test the assumption that poor management is a direct consequence of poor management training and skills. Using an exploratory cross-sectional survey, self administered questionnaires were administered to managers of health care institutions in Abuja, Nigeria, and data were analyzed using standard statistical techniques. Most Nigerian health managers lacked adequate management knowledge and skills. The analysis established a significant relationship between unidentifiable leadership styles/administrative training and poor management of Nigerian health institutions (X2 = 9.68, p < 0.005). Training and improvement of management skills of health care managers will significantly ameliorate managerial problems of the health institutions (X2 = 56.85, p < 0.001), and a contingent management technique (CMT) among other recommendations for an effective and efficient health care industry is hereby proposed.