The centrality of effective training and development to the efficiency of any organization can hardly be overemphasized. This paper empirically evaluated the effectiveness of training and development programmes in enhancing the job performance of Lokoja Local Government Council personnel from 2003-2009. The study adopted the systematic approach to training, as well as its concomitant derivatives such as the frequency, timing, equity and relevance of training programmes, as benchmarks for effective training and development. Data for this study were generated from both primary and secondary sources. Also, the responses generated from the randomly selected respondents were analyzed using simple cross tabulation and percentages. The paper found that the glaring absence of the systematic approach to training is at the root of the numerous obstacles that beset training and development programmes in Lokoja Local Government Council. It strongly recommended, inter alia, the need to incorporate training needs assessments and training evaluations into the configuration of training and development activities in Lokoja Local Government Council.
Keywords: Human resource, Local Government Council, Performance, training and development