Evaluation of Talent Retention Strategies in Nigerian Telecommunication Companies in Lagos State

Talent retention is a persistent challenge in Nigeria's fast-growing telecommunications sector, where competition for skilled employees between MTN, Airtel, Glo, and 9mobile intensifies across the Lagos State labour market. This study evaluated the talent retention strategies employed by four major telecommunications companies in Lagos and assessed their effectiveness from the perspective of employees. A survey of 220 employees across the four companies was conducted, with retention strategies categorised as compensation-based, career development, work environment, and recognition and culture approaches. Employee retention intention and organisational commitment were measured using validated scales. Relative Importance Index and logistic regression were employed. The Relative Importance Index ranking showed that competitive salary and benefits ranked highest (RII = 0.88), followed by career advancement opportunities (RII = 0.85) and work-life balance provisions (RII = 0.80). Companies offering structured internal mobility programmes showed a 31% lower voluntary turnover rate than those without. Recognition programmes significantly predicted retention intention (OR = 2.6, p < 0.01). Age and tenure moderated the retention effect of career development programmes. The study found that compensation alone was insufficient to retain employees with more than 5 years of experience, for whom purpose-driven work and leadership quality became more significant. Recommendations include tailored retention packages by employee career stage and mandatory stay interviews for high-performing employees at the 2-year tenure mark in Lagos telecom firms. Keywords: talent retention, telecommunications sector, employee commitment, Lagos State, voluntary turnover