The exodus of lecturers from Nigerian universities has sparked growing concerns among Vice-Chancellors (VCs), the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), and other key stakeholders. In a series of interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), these education leaders voiced their apprehensions over the dwindling number of educators within the country’s higher education institutions.
The recent approval of a 35% and 23% salary increment for staff at federal tertiary institutions by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was intended to address some of the pressing issues within the education sector. However, the subsequent release of a circular on the implementation of the adjusted salary structure, as communicated by the CEO of the Salaries, Income and Wages Commission, Mr. Ekpo Nta to the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, may have come too late to stem the tide of departures.
In fact, recent media reports suggest that approximately 50% of lecturers have already resigned from their positions in various universities, with more contemplating similar actions. This mass exodus has been described as a crisis by some V-Cs, with Prof. Wahab Egbewole, the V-C of Ilorin, attributing the shortage of lecturers to the employment embargo imposed by the Federal Government. He implored the authorities to lift the embargo, emphasizing the need to create an enabling environment that discourages brain drain and supports the retention of academic talent.
Prof. Alewo Johnson-Akubo, Vice-Chancellor of Salem University Lokoja, echoed these sentiments, deeming the shortage of lecturers as deeply unfortunate. This sentiment was shared by Dr. Muhammad Lawan, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic at Yobe State University, who advocated for the revival of the tradition of absorbing first-class graduates as lecturers and emphasized the importance of expanding existing universities rather than establishing new ones.
Additionally, Prof. Olayemi Akinwumi, the V-C of Federal University Lokoja (FUL), highlighted the strains experienced by lecturers due to the shortage, bemoaning the challenges in managing workloads and the restrictions placed on sabbaticals and visiting lecturers. He underscored the critical need for adequate funding of universities and the liberation of these institutions from the constraints of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), urging for a departure from civil service rules.
The ongoing haemorrhage of lecturers from Nigerian universities presents a complex set of challenges, requiring urgent and concerted efforts to address the root causes and mitigate the far-reaching implications. As the nation grapples with this crisis, the spotlight turns to policymakers, urging them to take swift and decisive action to safeguard the integrity and sustainability of higher education in Nigeria.
