University lecturers in Nigeria are now among the lowest paid on the African continent, with professors earning an average of just $366 (about N500,000) per month. This revelation comes from a recent investigation by The PUNCH, which highlights the significant salary gap between Nigerian academics and their counterparts in other African nations.
Despite Nigeria’s position as Africa’s largest economy, university professors in the country earn a fraction of what their peers take home elsewhere on the continent. While Nigerian professors earn a meagre $4,400 annually, a South African professor earns a staggering $57,471 per year — more than 13 times higher.
Other African countries, including Uganda ($50,595), Kenya ($48,000), and even nations with smaller economies like Eswatini ($41,389) and Lesotho ($32,455), are paying their university lecturers far better salaries. Shockingly, countries such as Sierra Leone ($18,000), Zambia ($14,949), and Comoros ($12,960) also outpace Nigeria in terms of lecturer compensation.
The disparity in pay is a matter of grave concern for Nigerian professors, many of whom have shared their frustrations with The PUNCH. A professor who spoke on condition of anonymity said, “I had an opportunity to go for a fellowship, but to get paid by the funder, my salary had to be under €1,200 a month. With a salary of barely 500k, I had no choice but to forego my Nigerian salary and be paid by the funder. That’s the painful reality.”
The issue of low pay has not only affected morale but has also contributed to an increasing brain drain. Several Nigerian professors are leaving academic institutions for more lucrative opportunities in government agencies, international organisations, and the private sector.
A lecturer from the University of Ibadan shared an unsettling story: “A colleague went on sabbatical at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and was earning almost a million naira. Upon returning to the university, his salary dropped to about N250,000. It’s hard to stay motivated when the financial gap is so wide.”
The issue is exacerbated by a lack of adequate infrastructure and facilities. “Many professors are forced to work in poorly maintained environments, often without basic resources. It’s no longer about passion; it’s about survival,” said another academic.
A former Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, also weighed in on the issue, stating, “The morale of lecturers is at an all-time low. The standard of teaching is declining, and many of the best lecturers are leaving because they can no longer sustain themselves on their salaries.”
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President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Emmanuel Piwuna, laid the blame squarely on government neglect. “We’ve had stagnant salaries for years. The political class continues to increase their own pay while academics are left to suffer. Our ability to attract quality lecturers is severely affected by this stagnation.”
The salary issue has even led to a situation where “political academics” are taking positions that were once held by passionate educators. “The sad part is that many of those who still have knowledge to impart are leaving, while political appointees with little substance are getting recruited,” one academic lamented.
The solution to this crisis, according to academics, is a complete overhaul of the salary structure and a renegotiation of the 2009 agreement that governs lecturer pay. “Lecturers are essential to nation-building, but when you can’t even afford to send your children to good schools or take care of your own health, it’s difficult to stay motivated,” another professor said.
The government is now being urged to take urgent action to prevent further erosion of the academic system. “We cannot afford to lose more professors to better-paying opportunities abroad or in other sectors,” said Professor Tunde Adeoye, a Senior Lecturer at the University of Lagos.
