Exploring the Effects of Provost Managerial Skills on Academics' Job Performance in Nigeria

This study investigated the effects of provost managerial skills on academics' job performance in state colleges of education in the North-West geopolitical zone of Nigeria. Despite substantial policy reforms and resource investments in Nigeria's tertiary education sector, a persistent gap remains between institutional intentions and the actual professional experiences of academic staff, particularly regarding the enabling role of institutional leadership. Anchored in the premise that the competencies provosts deploy directly shape the work environment and output of academics, this study addressed four specific objectives: to determine the effects of provosts' administrative, capacity building, communication, and technical skills on academics' job performance. A quantitative correlational research design was employed, with a sample of 322 provosts and academics drawn from the seven states comprising the North-West zone, selected through proportionate stratified random sampling. Data were collected using the Provost Managerial Skills and Academics Job Performance Questionnaire (PMSAJPQ), validated by experts and reliability-tested (Cronbach's alpha = 0.81). Analysis involved descriptive statistics and Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient at the 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed significant positive correlations between all four managerial skill dimensions and academics' job performance (r = 0.59–0.67; p < .05). It is recommended that provosts in Nigerian colleges of education receive structured managerial development training, and that institutional policies prioritise the integration of communication, technical, and capacity building competencies into leadership evaluation frameworks.