EMPLOYEES TRAINING AND PROJECT SUCCESS OF POULTRY FARMS IN RIVER STATE OF NIGERIA

This study examined the relationship between employees’ training and project success in poultry farms within Rivers State, Nigeria. The research was motivated by the increasing concern over poor project implementation and operational inefficiencies observed in the poultry sector despite the growing investment in agricultural projects. The study aimed to determine how training design, training delivery, and employee competence contribute to achieving project success in selected poultry farms across Obio/Akpor, Ikwerre, and Etche Local Government Areas. A descriptive survey design was employed, and structured questionnaires were distributed to a sample of 310 employees drawn from a population of 1,540 workers across 128 registered poultry farms in the state. The data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 27. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the demographic data, while Pearson correlation and regression analysis tested the hypotheses at a 0.05 significance level. Findings revealed a significant positive relationship between employee training and project success in poultry farms. Specifically, training design was found to enhance employees’ understanding of project objectives; effective training delivery improved task performance; and employee competence significantly contributed to project completion within time and budget. The study established that well-structured training programs serve as a catalyst for operational excellence, employee motivation, and project sustainability in the poultry industry. The study recommends that poultry farm owners and managers in Rivers State should invest more in continuous and structured training programs aligned with specific project goals. Training delivery should be practical, interactive, and tailored to the technical needs of staff. Additionally, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms should be embedded in training programs to ensure sustained improvement in employee competence and overall project performance. Keywords: Employee Training, Training Design, Training Delivery, Employee Competence, Project Success, Poultry Farms, Rivers State.