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Ex Unilag VC – 239 first-class lecturers quit UNILAG over poor pay

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No fewer than 239 first-class graduates of the University of Lagos, employed as lecturers, left the institution within seven years.

Immediate past Vice-Chancellor of UNILAG, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, disclosed this on Tuesday while speaking as guest lecturer at The PUNCH Forum, themed: “Innovative Funding of Functional Education in the Digital Age,”

Reeling out statistics, Ogundipe said UNILAG retained 256 first-class graduates as lecturers between 2015 and 2022, but only 17 remained in the institution’s employ as of October 2023.

He attributed the mass exodus to poor remuneration, unconducive working conditions, and low motivation among lecturers.

Ogundipe said, “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.

“In 2015, 86 were employed; in 2016, 82; during my time, that is, 2017 to 2022, 88 were employed. As of October 2023, only 17 were on the ground. They have gone. Very soon, in the next 10 years, you will have only females in the universities if something is not done.”

He noted that unless the government adequately funds the sector, universities would, in the next decade, be dominated by women, while poorly prepared candidates would gain entry into postgraduate programmes.

“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 N10m to access as loans. You can see how our lives have been devalued. Can I use N10m to build a security post?

“How do you encourage them? Many of our colleagues, especially the young ones, are tired. The unfortunate thing is that two things will happen in the universities soon. Women will be the ones to occupy universities, like we have in secondary schools. Second, the calibre of people who will come for postgraduate studies will be people who are not supposed to come,” he added.

Ogundipe lamented chronic underfunding of the education sector, noting that both federal and state allocations had consistently remained below 10 per cent, far short of UNESCO’s recommended 15 to 26 per cent.

He urged legislators to enact a law mandating that each first-generation university receive at least N1bn annually to address decayed infrastructure.

According to him, many universities are forced to rely on Internally Generated Revenue, which ought to be channelled into research.

Ogundipe, who is also Pro-Chancellor of Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, lamented that infrastructure, technology, teachers’ remuneration, research support, and digital facilities in universities were either overstretched or completely absent.

“In the period from 2015 to 2025, Nigeria’s education sector has faced tremendous fiscal restraint. Federal budget allocations — even after headline increases in absolute naira terms — have consistently remained below 10 per cent, and most years hover between 4.5 and 7.5 per cent.

“The consequences of chronic underfunding are immediate and profound: Nigeria has the highest number of out-of-school children worldwide, estimated at between 10 and 22 million. Over 60 per cent of primary education funding is absorbed by teacher salaries, often with little left for capital expenditure or innovation,” he said.

Ogundipe advocated innovative funding strategies beyond government allocations, including public-private partnerships, alumni endowments, philanthropy, education bonds, optimising digital platforms, and linking funding to measurable outcomes.

He said, “UNESCO positions innovative financing as a critical tool for bridging the nearly $100bn annual financing gap impeding educational attainment in low- and lower-middle-income countries.

“Innovative mechanisms for education include shared risk/reward models for infrastructure, investors repaid only if outcomes are achieved, risk capital to support EdTech and innovative schools, leveraging the Nigerian diaspora for targeted investments, debt swaps for education, education technology grants, corporate donations, and capacity-building linked to business and reputation.”

While urging state and Federal Governments to raise allocations, he also identified critical roles for the private sector, alumni, civil society, faith-based organisations, and donor agencies.

“The private sector should see education support not just as social responsibility but as enlightened self-interest in building the workforce, the talent, and the markets of tomorrow. Invest not only in infrastructure, but in people, curricula, and research that advance national development.

“To alumni, home and abroad, remember that the institutions that made you now need you. Give, mentor, endow, advise, and advocate for your alma mater and the next generation.

“To civil society and faith-based groups, continue to be the vanguards of inclusion, equity, and grassroots school transformation. To the Nigerian media, lead the narrative, demand reforms, report boldly and analytically, and make education funding a national priority.

“To international and donor agencies, partner with us, but let us increasingly build our domestic resource mobilisation and institutional resilience. Above all, to every Nigerian, let us see education as the most sacred trust we must pass to our children. Our fingerprints, our footprints, our names should be found in the library buildings, the digital labs, the scholarships, and the lives changed,” Ogundipe said.

PUNCH management staff at the forum included Executive Director, Business Development and Innovation, Mrs Valerie Omowunmi Tunde-Obe; Chairman, Editorial Board, Mr Obafemi Obadare; General Manager, Production, Mr Olayinka Popoola; and Manager, Advertisement, Mrs Mary Ubani.

Also in attendance were the Editor, PUNCH Digital, Mr Lekan Adetayo; Deputy Editor, The PUNCH, Mr Tana Aiyejina; Associate Editor, News, Dr Ramon Oladimeji; and Head of Training, PUNCH Media Foundation, Mr Dele Aina.

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Education

Cross River shuts 36 illegal schools

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The Cross River State Government has shut down 36 unapproved schools, ranging from primary to secondary schools, operating without registration or official approval across three local government areas of the state.

The state Commissioner for Education, Professor Stephen Odey, who confirmed the development on Tuesday in Calabar, the state capital, described the situation as “unfortunate,” noting that some individuals continue to exploit unsuspecting parents by running unauthorised schools.

He explained that the closures were executed by the state task force on illegal schools, which was inaugurated earlier this month and warned that the ministry would no longer tolerate any unauthorised or “mushroom” operations in the state’s education sector.

“We have begun full-scale enforcement across the three educational zones in Calabar, Ikom, and Ogoja to sanitise the system and ensure that only schools meeting the required standards are allowed to operate,” Odey said.

The ministry’s publication listed 16 affected schools in Calabar, 10 in Ikom, and another 10 in Ogoja, all found to be running without government approval.

Reaffirming the government’s commitment to quality education, Odey stressed that only duly registered and accredited schools would be permitted to function.

He further advised parents and guardians to verify the approval status of schools before enrolling their children, warning that the enforcement exercise would be extended to all 18 local government areas in the state.

“This exercise will continue until every illegal school is either regularised or shut down. We are determined to protect the integrity of education in Cross River State,” Odey stated.

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Education

ASUU suspends two-week warning strike

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The Academic Staff Union of Universities has announced the suspension of its ongoing two-week warning strike.

The National President of ASUU, Prof. Chris Piwuna, made this known in an ongoing press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday.

According to Piwuna, the decision stemmed from the meeting of the National Executive Council meeting which was held overnight and ended by 4:00 am on Wednesday.

Piwuna noted that the union decided to embark on the strike due to the failure of the government to meet its demands on time.

“We’ve had useful engagements with representatives of the government to consider the response to the draft renegotiation of the 2009 agreements. However, we are definitely not where we were prior to the commencement of the strike.

“The union acknowledged that the government returned to the negotiation table. While noting that a lot more work is still required, NEC came to the conclusion that the ongoing strike should be reviewed. The decision to review the strike action was a result of efforts by our students, parents, and the Nigeria Labour Congress.

“Consequently, NEC resolved to suspend the warning strike to reciprocate the efforts of well-meaning Nigerians.”

Recall that ASUU declared a total and comprehensive warning strike starting from Monday, October 13.

ASUU is currently demanding the conclusion of the renegotiated 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement, the release of the withheld three and a half months’ salaries, sustainable funding of public universities, revitalisation of public universities, and cessation of the victimisation of lecturers in LASU, Prince Abubakar Audu University, and FUTO.

Others are payment of outstanding 25-35% salary arrears, payment of promotion arrears for over four years and release of withheld third-party deductions (cooperative contributions, union check-off dues).

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Education

NELFUND opens student loan portal for 2025/2026 academic session

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The Nigerian Education Loan Fund has announced the official opening of its student loan application portal for the 2025/2026 academic session, providing access to financial support for students across tertiary institutions in the country.

The agency said the application window will run from Thursday, October 23, 2025, to Saturday, January 31, 2026.

This is contained a statement issued on Tuesday by NELFUND’s Director of Strategic Communications, Oseyemi Oluwatuyi.

NELFUND urged fresh students to apply using their Admission Number or JAMB Registration Number in place of a matriculation number.

It appealed to tertiary institutions to show understanding regarding registration and fee payment deadlines for applicants awaiting loan disbursement.

“Institutional Institutions are encouraged to show understanding in enforcing registration and fee Flexibility payment deadlines for students awaiting loan disbursement

“Institutions that have not yet commenced their 2025/2026 academic session should Special Notice formally write to NELFUND with their approved academic calendar for scheduling flexibility

“NELFUND appeals to all institutions to consider temporary registration measures for students whose loan applications are being processed to ensure that no student loses access to education due to financial constraints,” the statement said.

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