RETIREMENT POLICY IMPLEMENTATION AND ITS INFLUENCE ON EMPLOYEE COMMITMENT IN PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES OF SOUTHWESTERN NIGERIA

This study examines the relationship between retirement policy implementation and employee commitment in public universities across Southwestern Nigeria, addressing a key gap in higher education workforce policy research. A descriptive survey design was employed, using a multistage sampling technique. The study population comprised 31,165 staff members across 12 purposively selected universities in six states. A sample of 384 participants was determined using Krejcie and Morgan’s formula and selected through proportionate stratified and convenience sampling methods. Structured questionnaires were administered, with 240 valid responses analyzed. Descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentages) and inferential statistics, specifically the Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient (PPMCC), were used for data analysis. Results indicated statistically significant relationships between various dimensions of retirement policy implementation and employee commitment (r = 0.140, p = 0.001; r = 0.150, p = 0.020; r = -0.535, p = 0.003; r = -0.774, p = 0.002; r = -0.534, p = 0.018). These findings suggest that the effectiveness, consistency, and transparency of retirement policy implementation significantly influence employee commitment both positively and negatively depending on execution quality. The study concludes that clearly defined and well-implemented retirement policies are critical to improving staff morale, trust, and institutional loyalty. It recommends that university administrators adopt inclusive, transparent, and strategically aligned retirement planning frameworks to strengthen employee’s commitment. This research contributes to the broader discourse on public sector human resource management, particularly in developing economies.