Only 17 Left: UNILAG Loses 239 First-Class Lecturers in 7 Years Over Poor Pay

Over 239 first-class graduates employed as lecturers at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) have reportedly left the institution within seven years, citing poor pay, lack of motivation, and harsh working conditions.

This revelation was made by the immediate past Vice-Chancellor of UNILAG, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, while delivering a lecture at The PUNCH Forum in Lagos on Tuesday.

According to him, between 2015 and 2022, the university hired 256 first-class graduates as academic staff, but by October 2023, only 17 remained in the system.

“At UNILAG, we decided that those with first-class honours should be employed. What is remaining is not up to 10 per cent. All of them have gone. One day, I asked the man in charge to give me this information,” Ogundipe revealed.

He explained that the mass exit was driven by low salaries, poor infrastructure, and a lack of incentives, warning that the trend poses a serious risk to Nigeria’s higher education system.

Ogundipe also cautioned that if nothing changes in the next decade, universities could face female dominance in academia and a sharp decline in the quality of postgraduate students.

He gave a breakdown of the recruitment figures:

• In 2015, 86 first-class graduates were employed.
• In 2016, 82 were employed.
• Between 2017 and 2022, 88 were employed.
• By October 2023, only 17 lecturers remained.

“Many of us are tired. By the time you get home, there is no light, and the Federal Government is saying they are giving us ₦10m to access as loans. You can see how our lives have been devalued. Can I use ₦10m to build a security post?” he lamented.

“The private sector should see education support not just as social responsibility but as enlightened self-interest in building the workforce and markets of tomorrow,” Ogundipe said.

He stressed that research, technology, and teacher welfare must be prioritized if Nigeria is to avoid a deeper crisis in its higher education system.