Assessment of Mentoring Practices and Career Development of Junior Administrative Staff in Ekiti State University

This study assesses mentoring practices and their contribution to the career development of junior administrative staff in Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, within Nigeria's South West geopolitical zone. Mentoring has been identified in contemporary human resource literature as a powerful mechanism for knowledge transfer, professional confidence building, and career trajectory improvement among early-career employees. Using a descriptive survey design, the study targets junior administrative officers (Grade Levels 01-07), their supervisors, and the university's human resource development officer. Structured questionnaires incorporating established mentoring effectiveness scales are administered to 95 respondents. The Social Learning Theory and the Career Development Theory provide the conceptual framework, with supporting literature from 2020 to 2024 on mentoring in Nigerian higher education. The study examines the prevalence of formal and informal mentoring relationships, the perceived quality of mentoring received, and its measurable effects on career development indicators including promotion rates and skill acquisition. Recommendations are directed at Ekiti State University management and the National Universities Commission's staff development directorate. Keywords: mentoring practices, career development, administrative staff, Ekiti State University, human resource management