Mrs. Yinka Ogunde’s emotional response is a powerful statement. But seemingly powerless in Nigeria! Mrs Ogunde is a conscientious Nigerian woman. An educational stakeholder who recently discovered that a Nigerian professor earns less than a local government councillor. She was so flabbergasted that she sent a lorry-load of heartfelt apology to all lecturers in Nigeria. Thank you Ma, I have since received mine! As the founder of a network dedicated to improving education, her public admission of ignorance about a professor’s salary is a microcosm of a broader societal disconnect.
Many Nigerians, like Mrs. Ogunde, may be unaware of the dire financial situation of those at the pinnacle of academia. The fact that an individual who has dedicated decades to rigorous academic pursuit, earning a PhD, and conducting research, earns less than a local government councillor, whose role is often less demanding in terms of intellectual capital and years of training, is a profound societal paradox. A paradox that has become our badge of shame!
The disparity is particularly vexing and humiliating when you consider the minimum requirements to become a professor. Years of dedication, starting from a bachelor’s degree, followed by a master’s, a PhD, and then climbing the academic ladder through lecturing, research, and publications. This is a long and arduous journey, yet the financial reward is not commensurate with the effort and the value they are expected to provide to society.
Implications for the Nigerian Educational System
The poor remuneration for academics has significant and damaging implications for the Nigerian educational system:
1.Personnel haemorrhage and Loss of Talent
Low salaries are a major driver of the “japa” (emigration) syndrome among academics. Nigeria’s best minds, who are highly sought after globally, are leaving for countries where their expertise is adequately compensated. This brain drain depletes the intellectual capital needed to train the next generation of leaders, innovators, and problem-solvers. The quality of education inevitably declines as experienced professors are replaced by less experienced staff, or not replaced at all.
2.Deterioration of Quality and Standards
When a profession is poorly paid, it struggles to attract the most talented individuals. Even trainee teachers prefer any other thing than their profession! Young, bright graduates are unlikely to pursue a career in academia when they see that their peers in other sectors, including politics, earn significantly more. Even older academics are bemoaning their choice! This leads to a decline in the overall quality of faculty, impacting teaching, research, and mentorship. Without top-tier academics, Nigerian universities struggle to compete on a global scale and produce graduates who can compete effectively in the job market.
3.Diminished Research and Innovation
Academic salaries in Nigeria often don’t provide a liveable wage, forcing professors to find alternative sources of income. In some cases, professors are made SAs to politicians, serving as election managers even at the lowest level. This distracts them from their primary responsibilities of teaching and research. A lack of funding and low pay means professors cannot dedicate the time and resources needed for groundbreaking research. This cripples the country’s capacity for innovation and development, as universities are meant to be hubs of research that drive national progress.
4.Erosion of Morale and Integrity
The feeling of being undervalued and underpaid breeds a sense of demoralization among lecturers. This has led to a lack of motivation, frequent industrial actions (strikes), and even compromise academic integrity. When lecturers are struggling to make ends meet, they may be more susceptible to corrupt practices, such as “sorting” (bribes for grades), which further erodes the credibility of the educational system. Talking about strikes? Their MOTHER is coming!
In sum, Mrs. Ogunde’s apology is a wake-up call. But who is listening? Is it the ears that are practically deaf to rational thinking or are the hearts already stuffed with great stores of evil? It is an indictment of a system that places a higher value on political office than on the intellectual foundation of the nation. The government and the public must recognize that a nation’s progress is directly tied to the quality of its education. Investing in education means more than building schools; it means investing in the people who teach and inspire. Of course , the KEY to the success of any educational reform is the Teacher. Fair compensation for lecturers is not a luxury; it’s a necessity for rebuilding a functional and respected educational system in Nigeria.
I wish, I only wish the Ogundes’ tears and apologies could be a tangible force capable of transforming the lecturers’ shameful plight.
IDAKA IDAKA is a University Don and a Public affairs commentator.
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