DAVID OLUWABIMPE OMOLAYOCovenant University Dissertation2025-04-072025-03https://repository.covenantuniversity.edu.ng/handle/123456789/46000Ethical leadership is considered one of the critical determinants of Employees’ engagement, especially within the public sector, where the manifestation of unethical practices erodes trust, reduces motivation, and, in essence, undermines the performance of such organisations. This study explored ethical leadership and Employees’ engagement within Ado/Odo Ota Local Government Council, Ogun State, Nigeria, as it relates to impediments to ethical leadership, strategies for strengthening Employees’ engagement, and environmental drivers that influence ethical leadership adoption. Quantitative data from 189 employees were collected through structured questionnaire, while qualitative insights were gathered from seven key informants who were department heads and senior administrators. Quantitative data analysis was done using SPSS 27, and thematic analysis of qualitative data was performed using ATLAS.ti 25. The results indicate that ethical leadership is significantly and positively related to Employees’ engagement, as evidenced by a correlation coefficient of 0.245, p = 0.001. The study considered political interference, resource constraints, and socio-cultural norms as critical impediments to ethical leadership in Nigerian local governance. In addition, this study identified the need for clearly defined ethics policies, ongoing leadership training, incentive structures, and enhanced transparency mechanisms necessary to establish an ethical organisational culture. This study adds much value to the theory by pushing forward the discussion of ethical leadership in public administration and governance. It thus gave empirical evidence that ethical leadership enhances Employees’ engagement by instilling employee trust, accountability, and professionalism. The findings have implications for policymakers and human resource managers in formulating targeted interventions to mitigate leadership challenges and promote a more engaged workforce in local government settings. This study has established ethical leadership as influencing Employees’ engagement in Ado/Odo Ota LGC. However, considering the geographical focus, the study concludes that future research should be expanded to broader contexts to enhance the generalisability of findings and further explore the nuanced relationship between ethical leadership and Employees’ engagement across diverse institutional settings.enEmployees’ engagementEthical LeadershipLocal GovernmentNigeriaPublic SectorGovernanceThesis