Education
MASS EXODUS OF LECTURERS FROM UNILAG, NIGERIA’S UNIVERSITIES CONTINUES UNABATED
The University of Lagos (UNILAG) has lost almost 60 per cent of its academic staff in the last five years, with about 1,800 lecturers resigning from the institution in search of greener pastures. According to the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Folasade Ogunsola, the university currently has only 1,200 lecturers, including professors, senior, and junior academic staff, on its nominal roll.
The situation is similar across Nigeria’s universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and monotechnics, as many academic and non-academic staff have migrated abroad for better opportunities. The exodus of lecturers from UNILAG mirrors a national trend popularly referred to as the Japa syndrome, which describes the mass emigration of highly skilled professionals.
Ogunsola lamented that the university is now relying on adjunct staff to supplement the acute shortage of lecturers. “Even at 3,000, we were not enough. So, you can imagine the situation now with this acute shortage,” she said. The university has been forced to adopt virtual learning mode for the first semester of the ongoing academic session due to the shortage of lecturers and major renovation works at the students’ hostels.
The situation has significantly increased the faculty-student ratio to as high as 1:60 against the global benchmark of 1:16. A student of the university expressed frustration with the virtual learning option, citing network issues and poor live streaming.
The Nigerian government seems unconcerned by this significant threat, as successive administrations have continued to grant approvals for new universities despite the acute shortage of staff in existing institutions. Between 2011 and 2021, former Presidents Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari approved the establishment of several new tertiary institutions. President Bola Tinubu’s administration has also approved 67 new tertiary institutions, comprising 22 universities, 33 polytechnics, and 12 colleges of education.
A former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Professor Olufemi Bamiro, attributed the staffing challenge to poor workers’ welfare and the government’s failure to review the agreement entered into with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other university workers’ unions for over a decade.
The ASUU National Vice President, Chris Piwuna, described the government’s practice of overseeing recruitment processes for universities as a flagrant breach of autonomy. “What does the head of service or the ministry of education have in terms of knowledge of the university system?” he asked.
Ogunsola said the university has made submissions on the issue of recruitment for consideration and approval, noting that the process for recruitment is currently being coordinated by the Federal Ministry of Education.
Bayero University Kano (BUK) has expelled no fewer than 171 students after discovering that they gained admission using falsified academic credentials.
According to multiple reports, the university management said the affected students were identified following a thorough verification exercise conducted in collaboration with relevant examination bodies and admission authorities. The review reportedly uncovered discrepancies in documents submitted by the students during the admission process.
In a statement issued by the institution, BUK described the act as a serious breach of academic integrity and a violation of its admission guidelines. The university emphasized its zero-tolerance stance on fraud and warned that it would continue to enforce strict measures to protect the credibility of its academic system.
The affected students have been directed to withdraw from the university immediately, while their records have been updated to reflect the expulsion. Authorities also hinted that further actions could be taken where necessary, including possible legal consequences for those involved in document forgery.
The university reiterated its commitment to maintaining high academic standards and ensuring that only qualified candidates are admitted through legitimate processes.
Education stakeholders have commended the move, describing it as a step toward sanitizing Nigeria’s higher education system, where cases of admission fraud and certificate manipulation have raised growing concerns in recent years.
The Federal Government has announced plans to abolish the Junior Secondary School Common Entrance Examination and introduce a nationwide Learner Identification Number system to track pupils throughout their academic journey.
Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, disclosed the proposal during an interactive session with journalists in Lagos, stating that the reforms are aimed at improving access to education and strengthening monitoring mechanisms across the country.
Under the proposed framework, the current common entrance examination will be phased out and replaced with a Continuous Assessment (CA) system. The minister explained that pupils would be evaluated based on their academic performance from primary one, allowing for seamless transfer of records when moving between schools.
Alausa said the reform is designed to address long-standing challenges in the transition from primary to secondary education, particularly the high number of pupils who fail to progress.
According to him, Nigeria has over 50,000 public primary schools with more than 23 million pupils, yet only slightly above three million transition to junior secondary school within the public system.
He described the gap as a reflection of limited access, noting that private schools cannot fully absorb the shortfall.
“The issue is simply lack of access,” he said, adding that the Federal Government is working with state governments to expand infrastructure and build more schools to accommodate the growing number of pupils.
To support the reform, the government plans to introduce a unique Learner Identification Number for every child from the primary school level. The number will remain with each pupil throughout their education, regardless of school transfers.
The system, the minister said, will enable authorities to track students’ progress and identify dropouts for timely intervention.
“If a child is expected to be in JSS1 and is not there, we will be able to determine the reason,” he added.
Alausa also revealed plans to revive the school feeding programme as part of efforts to boost enrolment and retention in public schools.
He noted that the programme may be placed under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Education to improve monitoring and effectiveness.
The initiative forms part of broader efforts by the Federal Government of Nigeria to strengthen the education sector, improve retention rates, and ensure more children complete basic education.
The Edo State Police Command has arrested students involved in a viral bullying incident at Igbinedion Education Centre, following widespread public outrage.
Police authorities confirmed that all individuals linked to the incident have been identified and taken into custody, with plans to charge them in a family court in line with juvenile justice and child protection laws.
The case gained national attention after disturbing videos surfaced online showing a student being physically assaulted by fellow students. In one of the clips, the victim was reportedly beaten, kicked, and humiliated while others watched and recorded the incident.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the violence stemmed from an earlier altercation between students. Authorities said a disagreement involving offensive remarks escalated into physical attacks, with a cycle of retaliation contributing to the incidents captured on video.
The Edo State Police spokesperson stated that the arrests followed a “thorough and painstaking investigation,” adding that all suspects would face legal proceedings in accordance with the law.
In response to the incident, the police have also intensified the “Operation Safe Schools” initiative across the state to address gaps in supervision and prevent similar occurrences.
The school management had earlier taken disciplinary action by expelling students directly involved, while the Edo State Ministry of Education condemned the act, describing it as unacceptable and contrary to the values of discipline and safety expected in schools.
Authorities have urged parents, guardians, and school administrators to take greater responsibility in guiding students and ensuring that grievances are handled through proper channels rather than violence.