The purpose of the study was to model the mediating effect of employee engagement on the link between human capital development and job performance of academic staff of public universities in Edo State. It sought to determine the link between human capital development practices (such as employee empowerment, working conditions, and reward) and the job performance of academic staff and ascertain the mediating effect of employee engagement on the link between human capital development and the job performance of academic staff of public universities in Edo State.