Emigration of Lecturers and Researchers Threatens Quality in Tertiary Institutions

Nigeria’s tertiary education sector is under increasing pressure as a growing number of academic professionals migrate abroad in search of better opportunities. This trend, commonly referred to as “brain drain,” is taking a significant toll on the quality, consistency, and global competitiveness of Nigerian universities and other higher education institutions.

Over the past few years, Nigeria has witnessed a surge in the departure of lecturers, researchers, and postgraduate scholars to countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, and Australia. These professionals often leave due to poor working conditions, limited research funding, job insecurity, and a lack of institutional support. Their exit creates a vacuum in academic departments, disrupts teaching and mentorship, and reduces the capacity for meaningful research and innovation.

Why Nigerian Academics Are Leaving

Several factors are driving this wave of emigration among Nigeria’s academic professionals:

• Inadequate salaries and benefits: Many Nigerian lecturers earn a fraction of what their counterparts in developed countries receive. With rising inflation and a high cost of living, sustaining a middle-class lifestyle on academic salaries has become increasingly difficult.

• Poor infrastructure and limited resources: Universities across Nigeria suffer from a lack of functional laboratories, outdated libraries, unreliable internet, and dilapidated facilities—conditions that stifle academic productivity and discourage research.

• Frequent strikes and instability: Prolonged strikes by university staff unions, especially the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), have severely disrupted academic calendars. This instability deters both students and staff from long-term commitment to the sector.

• Lack of research funding and career progression: Unlike in advanced economies, Nigerian researchers often lack grants, fellowships, and career development opportunities, which are essential for academic advancement.

Impact on the Quality of Higher Education

The departure of seasoned lecturers has left many departments short-staffed and struggling to maintain academic standards. As experienced professors exit, universities are forced to rely on younger, often less experienced staff to fill the gap. This transition affects:

• Course delivery and supervision of theses

• Availability of mentors for postgraduate students

• Continuity in research programs

• International collaborations and accreditations

In some cases, entire postgraduate programs have been suspended due to the unavailability of qualified supervisors. This not only affects students’ academic progress but also reduces the institutions’ reputation and attractiveness to international scholars.

Calls for Urgent Reforms

Academic unions, policymakers, and civil society organizations have repeatedly warned about the dangers of unchecked brain drain. They have urged the federal government to:

• Improve lecturers’ remuneration and conditions of service

• Invest in modern infrastructure and digital resources

• Create more research grant opportunities and academic fellowships

• Implement stable policies to ensure uninterrupted academic calendars

Several stakeholders argue that without urgent reforms and sustainable investment in the sector, Nigeria risks losing its best minds, thereby undermining national development goals, especially those tied to innovation, STEM advancement, and global competitiveness.

Looking Ahead: Reversing the Trend

While the challenge is complex, experts suggest a few potential solutions:

• Offering academic exchange programs that allow lecturers to gain experience abroad while remaining connected to Nigerian institutions

• Encouraging diaspora scholars to return temporarily to teach or mentor

• Promoting public-private partnerships to strengthen research and infrastructure

• Digitizing education delivery to attract international students and boost revenue for institutions

Conclusion: A Sector at Crossroads

The continuous loss of skilled academic professionals threatens to derail Nigeria’s higher education objectives. Unless proactive steps are taken to improve working conditions and restore confidence in the system, the brain drain may evolve into a full-blown academic collapse.

To protect the future of education and national development, Nigeria must act decisively to retain its intellectual capital and make its universities places of academic excellence and innovation once again.