In Nigeria, labour productivity has persistently fallen below global standards despite a rapidly increasing labour force. This paradox is more severe in the public sector, where wastage, institutional capacity shortages, and poor work ethics are prevalent. This study examines the dominant work attitudes of Nigerian employees and their impact on productivity in different sectors of the economy, such as the public, private, and informal economies. By way of a critical examination of empirical research, policy documents of governments, and international labour reports, the study isolates prominent behavioural tendencies among Nigerian employees, like lateness, absenteeism, poor morale, and resistance to change that destroy output and productivity. The study also discusses socio-economic and organisational determinants of such attitudes, which include low remuneration, lack of training, poor working conditions, and poor career development opportunities. The paper contends that productivity enhancement in Nigeria is not merely a matter of raising capital investment or macroeconomic change. It demands a strategic priority on work ethic change, institutional accountability, and a culture of performance. The study concludes that it is necessary to tackle the attitudinal dimension of the Nigerian labour force to realise labour productivity gains in the long term and, by extension, national development.