Nigerian university professors are among the worst paid in Africa, earning an average of $366 (about N500,000) monthly — far below counterparts in South Africa ($57,471 annually), Uganda ($50,595), and Kenya ($48,000). Even countries with smaller economies such as Eswatini, Lesotho, and Sierra Leone pay significantly higher wages.

Lecturers say the poor pay has worsened morale and triggered mass exits. “I opted to forego a Nigerian salary and be paid by the funder. That is the reality of our poor pay,” a professor said about choosing fellowship funding over his university salary. Another recalled a colleague who earned nearly N1 million during a sabbatical but returned to a university salary of just N250,000.

Former UNILAG Vice Chancellor, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, lamented that poor remuneration has crippled teaching quality. “The lecturers are tired, the morale is low… My son saw my pay slip and described it as a joke. Do you know that some lecturers sleep in the office?” he said.

ASUU President, Emmanuel Piwuna, blamed government neglect, noting salaries have barely changed since 2009. “Professors who were earning a little over N400,000 have still not been able to get to the N500,000 mark… Meanwhile, the political class keeps approving new pay rises for themselves,” he said

Prof. Tunde Adeoye of UNILAG urged urgent action to avert fresh strikes. “The government must improve our living standards and conditions of service to prevent brain drain. Many of our members cannot pay their house rents,” he said.

Source: Punch

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