… Over 1,800 UNILAG lecturers relocated in 5 yrs
Nigeria’s tertiary institutions are facing a crisis due to the mass exodus of lecturers seeking better opportunities abroad.
The trend, which is often referred to as japa, is impacting the quality of learning and research in universities as it takes experienced lecturers off the campuses.
Folasade Ogunsola, vice-chancellor of the University of Lagos, Akoka, revealed in an interview with DevReporting recently, that about 1,800 members of academic staff of the institution, representing almost 60 percent of the population, resigned their appointments from the university in their quest for greener pastures abroad in the last five years.
“Only 1,200 lecturers, including professors, senior and junior academic staff are currently on the university’s nominal roll, as the number keeps changing rapidly,” Ogunsola said.
Similarly, in 2024, Emmanuel Osodeke, former president of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), lamented the japa wave hitting the university community, noting that lecturers were leaving Nigerian universities in droves. He warned that the ivory towers might soon be left with only a few qualified lecturers.
“Lecturers are finding it difficult to make ends meet. Many are struggling just to stay afloat.
“Many of our colleagues are leaving the country in search of better opportunities, and if this trend continues, Nigerian universities will be left with an alarming shortage of qualified lecturers,” he stated.
Stanley Alaubi, a senior lecturer at the University of Port Harcourt, told BusinessDay that the institution is also affected by the massive migration of lecturers abroad.
“I know lecturers are leaving, but I do not have the exact numbers of those who have left. However, it’s obvious the economic crunch is biting hard and lecturers are also affected,” he said.
Osita Nnajiofor, a senior lecturer at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, said that about 30 percent of lecturers in the institution have migrated abroad.
“The lecturers’ migration abroad is massively affecting the school, as about 30 percent of the teaching staff have left for greener pastures abroad,” he said.
A lecturer of a university in the South-South Nigeria revealed that over 33 lecturers exited the school in 2024.
“They went to the United States, the United Kingdom and the Middle-East in search of opportunities. Those in medicine courses moved mostly to the Middle-East and the UK,” the senior lecturer, who pleaded anonymity as he was not authorised to disclose the information, noted.
He however noted that some of the lecturers are doing petty jobs in the streets of UK and the US.
BusinessDay spoke with staff members of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and Federal University, Otuoke, who confirmed mass exodus of lecturers, though they were unable to provide numbers.
New universities still springing up
Amid this disturbing development, analysts are worried that governments at federal and state levels have continued to establish new universities, overlooking the issue of staffing.
The federal government recently licensed 11 new private universities in Nigeria. These newly licensed institutions include: New City University, Lens University, Kevin Ezeh University, Monarch University, and Tonnie Iredia University of Communication.
Others are: Isaac Balami University of Aeronautics and Management, Eranova University, Southern Atlantic University, University of Fortune, Minaret University, and Abdulrasaq Abubakar Toyin University.
The approved universities bring the total number of private universities in Nigeria to 149 and the total number of universities in the country to 274.
Challenges of higher institution
In Nigeria, the tertiary education space is facing huge challenges such as inadequate funding, poor infrastructure and a lack of qualified staff, among others.
Osodeke, speaking on the challenges of funding, said: Funding has always been a challenge for university professors. It’s difficult for a professor to survive on just N450,000 a month, especially when they are spending over N200,000 on fuel alone due to the recent hikes in fuel prices.
“With the rising costs of electricity and other living expenses, it’s becoming increasingly hard for both lecturers and students. I can only imagine how students are managing to come to school under these circumstances.”
Lecturers’ challenges
Lecturers in Nigeria are grappling with overcrowded classrooms, outdated laboratory facilities for research activities and teaching, and poor working conditions, amongst others, amid poor remuneration.
Alaubi, earlier quoted, said the exodus of lecturers across Nigerian universities is being fuelled by the government’s nonchalant attitude to education, especially tertiary education.
“I want to state the obvious at this juncture. Our government does not care about its citizens, not to mention its workforce.
“As a senior lecturer, my take-home pay is not up to half a million per month. I must write articles and publish them. International publication costs up to $150. How can I grow with the cost and also feed my family?” he asked.
He emphasised that even politicians with just secondary school certificates earn more than lecturers with PhDs.
Solution to ugly trend
To curb this ugly trend, he said the government should begin to pay people on the basis of qualification.
“This is the only way to avoid this brain drain. There is an exodus of lecturers out of Nigerian universities because of hunger. A hungry man is an angry man,” he noted.
Nubi Achebo, director of academic planning at the Nigerian University of Technology and Management (NUTM), said the mass exodus of Nigerian lecturers is fuelled by poor working conditions, economic hardship, insecurity, and poor infrastructure, among others.
“Lecturers are dissatisfied with their working environment, remuneration and a lack of opportunities for career growth. Besides, Nigeria’s economic challenges such as rising unemployment, poverty, and inflation have made it difficult for lecturers to sustain themselves.
“The country’s security issues and decaying infrastructure have created an unfavourable environment for professionals,” he said.
Achebo also noted that there are better job opportunities abroad. “Developed countries offer more attractive salaries, improved working conditions and a higher quality of life, luring Nigerian lecturers to migrate,” he noted.
To curb this trend, he said the country should consider comprehensive reforms and increase investment in education.
“Overhaul the education system, improve funding, and provide better working conditions for lecturers. Allocate a larger share of the national budget to education,” he said. (BusinessDay)
