Welfare Packages and Morale of Non-Teaching Staff in Secondary Schools in Kogi State

This study investigates the relationship between welfare packages and the morale of non-teaching staff in public secondary schools in Kogi State, North Central Nigeria. Non-teaching staff, including administrative officers, laboratory attendants, school librarians, and security personnel, constitute an indispensable component of the school community whose contributions to institutional functioning are frequently undervalued. In Kogi State, delayed salary payments and poor welfare conditions have been cited as sources of widespread discontent among this category of staff. The study adopts a descriptive survey design and samples 280 non-teaching staff members from 35 secondary schools across three senatorial zones. A validated questionnaire is the primary instrument, and data are analysed with mean ratings, standard deviation, and Spearman's rank correlation. The study draws on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Theory. Findings reveal a significant positive association between welfare provision, including regular salary payment, health benefits, and housing support, and non-teaching staff morale. Staff in schools with active welfare unions and supportive principals report higher job satisfaction and organisational commitment. The study recommends that the Kogi State Government prioritise regular salary payments and establish welfare improvement schemes specifically targeting non-teaching staff. Keywords: welfare packages, staff morale, non-teaching staff, school administration, Kogi State.