“Nigerian Professors Among the World’s Lowest Paid” – ASUU Reports

ASUU President Professor Emmanuel Osodeke revealed that Nigerian university professors are among the world’s lowest-paid, earning significantly less than their counterparts in other African countries, which discourages foreign faculty and affects university rankings.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has disclosed that Nigerian university lecturers and professors receive the lowest pay globally.

ASUU President, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, shared these details in an interview, noting that since 2009, lecturers’ salaries have barely changed, apart from a N40,000 adjustment due to a minimum wage increase.

“I’m not aware of any other African country—whether in the South, North, Central, or West—where lecturers earn as little as they do in Nigeria.

“In other African nations, lecturers earn at least $2,000 (around N3.3 million) monthly, with professors making up to $10,000 (N16.5 million) per month.

“But here in Nigeria, professors make roughly $300 (N495,000) per month, less than half a million naira.

“This vast disparity discourages foreign lecturers from coming to Nigeria, which also contributes to the low ranking of Nigerian universities globally.

“Unfortunately, government officials don’t address this issue since their children and families aren’t in the Nigerian public school system,” Osodeke explained to the Nigerian Tribune.

Osodeke further revealed his own salary, despite being a professor for 15 years, is only N420,000 (about $255) per month, the same as professors with two decades of experience.

“Vice chancellors earn slightly more, but only during their tenure, reverting to the standard salary once they step down. Meanwhile, special assistants to the Speaker of the House, for example, earn over N1 million ($606) monthly, over twice what the highest-paid professors make.

“Recently, a senator admitted to earning N14 million monthly, an amount that’s equivalent to nearly three years’ salary for a top-ranking professor in a country where the government claims funds are limited,” Osodeke added.

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SOURCES: ALLSCHOOL, POLITICSNigeria