African Educational Research Journal - Review - An assessment of various strategies in enhancing workers productive capacity in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions

Oct 15, 2026

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This paper examines productivity enhancement strategies in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions, focusing on approaches used to improve workers’ productivity in their workplaces. The study argues that sincere implementation of targeted motivational strategies can drive optimum performance, particularly through establishing a supportive work environment, providing incentives, and creating opportunities for employees to build and develop their capacity. The analysis connects workforce motivation and capacity development with improved institutional outcomes.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages5

Reading Time13 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Productivity in Tertiary Institutions

Strategies for Enhancing Workers’ Productivity

Implications for Tertiary Education

African Educational Research Journal Vol. 4(3), pp. 91-95, July 2016 ISSN: 2354-2160 Review An assessment of various strategies in enhancing workers productive capacity in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions Olu Adesola Famade*, John Oluyemi Egbebi and Folajogun Oluwasinbo Akinkuowo National Institute for Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA), Ondo, Nigeria. Accepted 5 July, 2016 | ABSTRACT
This paper discusses productivity enhancement in tertiary institutions in Nigeria. It looked at the various strategies adopted to enhance workers’ productivity in their workplaces. The paper contends that sincere application of specified motivational strategies, such as a good work environment, provisions of incentives as well as opportunities to develop employees’ capacity will induce workers’ optimum performance.
Keywords: Productivity, Workers’ capacity, productivity improvement, employee motivation, tertiary institutions, tertiary education, national development. | | --- | | *Corresponding author. E-mail: solamade63@gmai[l.com. Tel:](l.com. Tel:) +234 8034852909. | INTRODUCTION Tertiary institutions remain an essential level of educational institution contributing towards the production of higher level manpower in relevant skills and competencies for national development. In Nigeria, tertiary education refers to the level of education acquired after secondary education in higher institutions of learning such as universities, polytechnics, colleges of education and other institutions of higher learning offering correspondence courses, diplomas and certificates (Famade et al. , 2015) . The goals of tertiary education in Nigeria as stipulated in the national policy on education (NPE, 2013) shall be to a) Contribute to national development through high level manpower training. b) Provide accessible and affordable quality learning opportunities in formal and informal education in response to the needs and interests of all Nigerians. c) Provide high quality career counseling and lifelong learning programmes that prepare students with the knowledge and skills for self-reliance and the world of work. d) Reduce skill shortages through the production of skilled manpower relevant to the needs of the labour market. e) Promote and encourage scholarship, entrepreneurship and community service. f) Forge and cement national unity, and g) Promote national and international understanding and interaction. It is in this regard that nations all over the world invest heavily on the development of higher education. Arikewuyo and Ilusanya (2010), quoting the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) stated that universities worldwide stand on three major principles, which are: i. The right to pursue knowledge for its own sake and to follow wherever the search for truth may lead, ii. The tolerance of divergent opinion and freedom from political interference, and iii. The obligation as social institutions to promote, through teaching and research, the principles of freedom and justice, of human dignity and solidarity, and to lead mutually material and moral aid on an international level. Emphasizing the importance of tertiary education in national development, Johnstone (2006) opines that higher institutions as an agent of change, national growth and instrument for the realization of collective aspiration should contribute to the development of the entire education system through teacher education, curriculum development and educational research thereby providing the crucial mass skills and educated populace needed by any country to ensure genuine sustainable development. PRODUCTIVITY IN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS Productivity refers to the amount of output produced per work hour. According to Mali (1978), it is a measure of how resources are brought together in organizations and utilized in accomplishing a set of results. It is about reaching the highest level of performance wit

FAQs

What does the paper say productivity means in tertiary institutions?

Productivity is described as output produced per work hour and as the effective use of resources to achieve results with least expenditure. It also reflects higher output with less-than-proportionate increases in inputs or the same output with fewer inputs.

Which motivational strategies are highlighted as drivers of workers’ optimum performance?

The paper emphasizes sincere application of motivational strategies including a good work environment, provisions of incentives, and opportunities to develop employees’ capacity. These are presented as inducing workers’ optimum performance.

How does the paper distinguish individual productivity from institutional productivity?

Individual productivity is reflected through outcomes like employment rates, wage rates, job satisfaction, and employability. Institutional productivity extends beyond output per worker and may be assessed using measures such as market share and export performance.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Stanford