The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) raised concerns on Tuesday, saying that many departments in Nigeria’s public universities don’t have enough staff, News About Nigeria reports.
They explained that this shortage is because some lecturers are leaving their jobs to find better opportunities elsewhere
The Chairman of the University of Ibadan Chapter of ASUU, Prof. Ayo Akinwole, talked about the difficult conditions in public universities, with lecturers feeling stressed and frustrated because they are not paid well.
Prof. Akinwole mentioned that unless the government, led by President Bola Tinubu, improves things like salaries, allowances, and infrastructure, more lecturers will keep resigning.
He also pointed out that it’s ironic that the government, which doesn’t provide enough funds for education, is thinking about creating more universities.
He explained that lecturers are resigning because they don’t get paid on time, their allowances are not given, the facilities in the universities are not good, and they don’t feel respected.
Regarding the idea of creating more universities, Akinwole suggested that it won’t solve the main problem. Instead, he thinks the government should focus on making existing universities better.
Akinwole said that the situation is serious, and good lecturers are leaving every month. He warned that unless the government takes steps to improve working conditions, other countries will keep taking away quality lecturers.
He also mentioned a problem where university leaders can’t quickly hire new staff without getting approval from the government, which takes a long time.
By the time they get approval, the best candidates might already have accepted jobs in countries that value good teachers.
Akinwole expressed frustration with the Ministry of Education and lawmakers, saying they make it harder for universities to hire the right people.
