This study investigated the comparative influence of ethnicity and religious affiliation on the alienation of Nigerian university staff from their work environment. The influence of certain moderator variables such as the location of the university, gender, age, educational qualification, staff category, official rank and staff communicative ability in the dominant Nigerian language spoken on campus were also investigated. Three instruments were used in the collection of data, the Ethnic Affiliation Scale, Religious Affiliation Scale and Staff Alienation Questionnaire. Ethnicity and religious affiliation variables predicted staff alienation from co-workers. However, religious affiliation variables alone predicted staff alienation from friends at work and from the job. Religious affiliation was found to be stronger than ethnicity in predicting the alienation of university staff from their co-workers, their friends at work and their job. Staff of northern universities felt more alienated from their co-workers and their jobs than those in the east and west but were least alienated from their friends at work. Staff of universities in the west felt most alienated from their friends at work. (Contains 3 tables.)