This dissertation entitled, Effects of Public Service Reforms (1988 and 1994) on the performance of the civil service in Nigeria: a study of selected federal Ministries and Extra Ministerial Departments and Agencies is aimed at examining the 1988 and 1994 civil service reforms and how they affected the performance of the Nigerian civil service on its day to day activities and roles. The objectives of this is to show the extent the problem of performance in the civil service was addressed in order to improve it toward effective and efficient service delivery, and the achievement of objectives of the government. The hypothesis to be rested is how professionalism, training and development and politicization affected the performance of the civil service in Nigeria. 

The methodology adopted is based on the research design, population of the study, the sample size, the random sampling technique adopted, the use of primary and secondary sources and the choice of simple tables and percentages, and the use of chi-square statistics in the method of data presentation and analysis. The Max Weber theory of legal-rational bureaucracy was adopted for the study. The findings revealed that the 1988 civil service reform did not achieve the desired objectives of making the civil service more professional, effective, efficient and performance oriented. 

The 1994 reform a reaction to the failure of the 1988 reverted the system of authority relation and the structure of the civil service back to its former position before the 1988 reform in the spirit of Weberian bureaucracy whose features have been the basis of the Nigerian civil service since independence in 1960. It is recommended among others that honouring and conforming to the Weberian features of bureaucracy where merit is emphasized will be the answer to the problem of performance in the Nigerian civil service. So also the government should ensure that the political class does not interfere in the operation of the Nigerian civil service in order to restore its variable qualities of professionalism, neutrality, impartiality, anonymity and meritocracy which are the central aspect of effective performance of an organization.