The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of motivation on productivity in an organization in the banking industry of Nigeria. United Bank for Africa Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, Ecobank Nigeria Plc and Access Bank Nigeria Plc were used as the case studies for the research in this study. The research made use of survey research method and questionnaires were administered to respondents who were randomly selected after being stratified into the different departments of the organizations. The data gotten were analyzed using frequency-percentage and chi-square methods. A conceptual framework was designed for the study based on the literature, linking motivational factors to employees\' productivity which is linked to organization\'s productivity. Three hypotheses were developed; using the literature and model, and tested in the perspective of past literatures and researches. However, this study concluded that motivational factors such as promotion, incentives and manager-to-employee interaction have no effect on productivity in an organization. The paper focused on two main factors; motivation and organizational productivity. The Abraham Maslow\'s hierarchy of needs theory was also discovered to be the most important and useful strategy in motivating employees as different respondents displayed different needs. The research topic, \"motivation as an instigator of productivity\" should be researched further on in order to cover different banks in Nigeria and also different sectors in the economy. Also, organizations should endeavor to design a good motivational structure for employees and this can be done by creating a body to ensure it is effective and this would in turn lead to the organization\'s productivity if done properly