Training and Development: An Imperative for Enhancing Employee Engagement in Nigerian Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS)

This study examines how selected training and development (T&D) components—orientation, compliance, and leadership training—influence job satisfaction among employees of the Nigerian Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS). Grounded in the Job Demands–Resources (JD–R) framework, the study conceptualises T&D as a job resource expected to enhance employee motivation and satisfaction. A cross-sectional survey of 447 respondents, obtained through simple random sampling from a population of 5,250 FIRS staff across twelve states, was analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM). The results indicate that orientation training (β = –0.018, p = 0.684), compliance training (β = 0.041, p = 0.452), and leadership training (β = 0.057, p = 0.317) do not significantly predict job satisfaction. Despite an acceptable predictive coefficient for the structural model (R² = 0.31), measurement analysis revealed high strong predictive capacity, but the non-significant paths suggest that these training categories do not uniquely influence satisfaction when considered alongside broader organisational factors. The findings highlight the limited motivational value of rule-based, content-dense training formats unless embedded within supportive climates. The study concludes that employee satisfaction in FIRS is influenced more by organizational factors—such as collaborative culture, psychological safety, and inclusive climate—than by formal training programs, and recommends FIRS should redesign orientation into resource-based onboarding, shift compliance training to risk-based micro-learning during work, and embed leadership development into daily routines to enhance autonomy, competence, and support, thereby improving job satisfaction and engagement.