Staff Motivation and Productivity in Adult Education Service Delivery in Kano State

This study investigated the relationship between staff motivation and productivity in adult education service delivery in Kano State, North West Nigeria. The sustainability and effectiveness of adult education programmes depend significantly on the motivation of facilitators and programme officers who constitute the human resource backbone of service delivery. The study adopted a descriptive survey design involving 90 adult education staff members including facilitators, supervisors, and administrative officers drawn from three local government areas. Motivation scale questionnaires, structured interviews, and productivity assessment indicators formed the data collection framework. Findings revealed that staff motivation levels were predominantly low, driven by inadequate and delayed salary payments, absence of career advancement structures, lack of professional recognition, and limited access to in-service training. Motivated staff clusters were found in centres that had recently received external project support, suggesting that resource injection positively but temporarily boosted motivation. Intrinsic motivators such as commitment to community service and personal educational values sustained a subset of facilitators despite poor working conditions. Staff turnover was highest among the youngest and most recently trained facilitators, who had stronger external labour market options. Recommendations include urgently addressing salary payment regularity, developing formal career progression pathways for adult education staff, instituting an annual staff recognition and awards scheme, providing regular in-service training, and creating participatory management structures that give frontline staff voice in programme decisions. Keywords: staff motivation, productivity, adult education, Kano State, human resource management.