V3I6P75

Capacity Building and Employee Performance in the Nigerian Public Sector: Evidence from Ondo State Civil Service Commission

Ojegade, E.D.^1*, Ajayi M.O.² , Ogunyemi, F.F.³

Abstract

This study examines the effect of capacity building tools specifically incentives, orientation training, and skill development on employee performance in the Ondo State Civil Service Commission, Akure, Nigeria. Anchored in Human Capital Theory and Expectancy Theory, and employing a census survey of all 77 employees (73 valid responses; 94.81% response rate), the study applies linear regression analysis to test three null hypotheses. Findings reveal that all three capacity building dimensions exert statistically significant positive effects on employee performance (p < 0.05). Skill development is the strongest predictor (β = 0.683, R² = 0.466), followed by incentives (β = 0.594, R² = 0.353) and orientation training (β = 0.588, R² = 0.346). All null hypotheses are rejected. The study contributes context-specific empirical evidence on capacity building in a state-level Nigerian public institution and recommends sustained investment in structured skill development programmes, transparent incentive systems, and comprehensive induction frameworks to enhance public sector productivity.

Keywords:

Capacity building; employee performance; incentives; orientation training