The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has raised serious concerns about the mass resignation of lecturers from public universities across Nigeria.
The union’s Chairman, Professor Ayo Akinwole, warned that the deteriorating conditions of service in these institutions are causing a brain drain that threatens the quality of education in the country.
Professor Akinwole, who heads the ASUU chapter at the University of Ibadan, painted a grim picture of the situation, describing public universities as being in “a very pitiable state.
He emphasized the stress and frustration visible among lecturers due to poor remuneration and a lack of respect for the academic community.
The ongoing exodus of lecturers has left many departments and units in public universities dangerously short-staffed.
This shortage poses a significant threat to the quality of education and the future of many students.
Akinwole warned that if the situation remains unaddressed, more qualified lecturers will continue to resign, further exacerbating the brain drain and weakening the Nigerian higher education system.
The ASUU chairman urged President Bola Tinubu to take immediate action to address the crisis by reviewing the conditions of service for lecturers.
This review should include improvements in salaries, allowances, and infrastructure.
Akinwole also questioned the wisdom of the government’s proposal to establish 32 more universities, suggesting that this could further strain the already struggling existing institutions.
Instead of creating more universities, Akinwole emphasized the need to improve the capacity of existing ones to accommodate more students.
He highlighted the bureaucratic hurdles that hinder efforts to replace resigned lecturers.
Vice Chancellors must obtain approval from Abuja, a process that can take months or even years, by which time the best candidates have often found opportunities elsewhere.
Akinwole also lamented the lack of respect shown to the academic community, with individuals from the Ministry of Education and legislators attempting to dictate who universities should employ.
He called for a more collaborative approach to address the challenges facing public universities and ensure that Nigeria’s higher education system remains strong and respected.
