Examining the Relationship Between Work Engagement and Turnover Intention Among Health Workers in Niger State, North Central Nigeria

Health worker retention is a critical challenge in Nigeria's public health system, and understanding the psychological determinants of turnover intention in understaffed states such as Niger in North Central Nigeria is urgently needed. This study examines the relationship between work engagement and turnover intention among health workers in Niger State General Hospitals, with organisational commitment as a mediator. A cross-sectional analytical survey is applied to 280 health workers including nurses, physicians, and community health officers from six general hospitals in Minna and Suleja, selected through proportionate stratified sampling. The Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, the Turnover Intention Scale, and the Allen and Meyer Organisational Commitment Scale are administered alongside a demographic questionnaire. Bootstrap mediation analysis using PROCESS Macro in SPSS tests indirect effects of work engagement on turnover intention through organisational commitment. Literature from North Central Nigerian health worker psychology identifies emotional exhaustion, poor compensation, and limited career advancement as the dominant turnover drivers, with work engagement serving as a significant protective factor in comparable sub-Saharan African contexts. The Job Demands-Resources Model and the Social Exchange Theory provide the theoretical framework. This study fills an empirical gap in the work engagement-retention literature for Nigerian public health workers. Findings will inform Niger State Ministry of Health on evidence-based retention strategies. Keywords: work engagement, turnover intention, health workers, Niger State, North Central Nigeria.