Recognition and Employee Retention in Nile University of Nigeria Abuja

This study examined the effect of recognition on employee retention in Nile University of Nigeria, Abuja, using job satisfaction, benefits, and mentorship as key dimensions of recognition. The study was motivated by the growing challenge of staff turnover in private universities and the need to understand how recognition-related practices influence employee commitment and profitability. A survey research design was adopted, and data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered to academic staff of the university. Using the Taro Yamane sampling technique, a sample size of 254 respondents was determined, out of which 224 valid responses were used for analysis. Descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis were employed with the aid of SPSS version 20. The results revealed that job satisfaction had a positive and statistically significant effect on profitability. Similarly, employee benefits were found to significantly influence profitability, while mentorship also showed a strong positive effect on institutional performance. The regression model further confirmed that recognition dimensions jointly explained a substantial proportion of the variation in profitability. All the null hypotheses were rejected at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings of this study demonstrate that recognition-related practices such as job satisfaction, welfare benefits, and mentorship are critical drivers of employee retention and organizational performance in private universities. The study therefore concludes that effective recognition strategies are essential for building employee loyalty, reducing turnover, and enhancing sustainable institutional growth. Recommendations were made for improved welfare systems, participatory management, and structured mentorship programmes.