Reps decry mass exodus of lecturers from Nigerian universities
The House of Representatives committee on University Education has expressed concern over what it described as a continuous exodus of academic and non-teaching staff from Nigeria’s universities, warning that the trend poses a major threat to the stability and quality of higher education in the country.
Abubakar Fulata, Chairman of the Committee raised the alarm on Thursday during an oversight visit to federal and state-owned universities in the South-East. He noted that while institutions continue to lose personnel, there have been no corresponding recruitment exercises to fill the growing number of vacancies.
Fulata cited the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), as an example of the crisis, disclosing that authorities at the institution confirmed that over 3,000 teaching and non-teaching staff had exited the system since 2019 through retirement or death, yet no replacements have been approved to fill the resulting vacancies.
“It is abnormal and dangerous for the university system to keep losing lecturers and non-academic staff through retirement or other causes without making provisions for replacements,” Fulata said.
“It is equally unhealthy for the system to have about 3,000 people leave and be granted approval to recruit only 500. This imbalance undermines academic continuity and institutional capacity,” he added.
The lawmaker urged the Federal Ministry of Education, university governing councils, and relevant agencies to urgently address the widening manpower gap, stressing that sustained vacancies in academic and administrative positions would further erode the quality of education in the country.
He also called on universities to ensure full compliance with the federal character principle in recruitment and appointments, noting that many institutions have failed to reflect national diversity in their staffing composition.
Fulata assured that the committee would continue to engage relevant stakeholders to strengthen university education and stem the tide of talent loss in Nigeria’s academic system.
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Nigeria’s university system has been under mounting strain, as years of underinvestment, policy inconsistency, and recurring labour crises have eroded its capacity to retain skilled personnel.
Many lecturers and researchers have left the country in search of better pay and working conditions abroad, amid worsening economic conditions and declining public funding.
According to education experts, the mass departure of university staff, part of a broader “brain drain” affecting Nigeria’s health and education sectors—has created a widening gap in teaching, research, and administration.
