239 First-Class Lecturers Exit UNILAG Over Poor Pay – Ex-VC

Former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, has revealed that 239 first-class graduates employed as lecturers by the institution left within seven years due to poor welfare and harsh working conditions.

Ogundipe made the disclosure on Tuesday while delivering a lecture at The PUNCH Forum themed “Innovative Funding of Functional Education in the Digital Age”, held at The PUNCH Place, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

According to him, between 2015 and 2022, UNILAG employed 256 first-class graduates as academic staff, but by October 2023 only 17 remained. He attributed the massive exit to poor remuneration, inadequate facilities, and lack of motivation.

“At UNILAG, we deliberately recruited first-class graduates as lecturers. By 2023, less than 10 per cent were still in the system. Many have left, discouraged by poor conditions. If this continues, Nigerian universities may soon be dominated by women, while postgraduate enrolment will be filled with ill-prepared candidates,” Ogundipe warned.

The ex-VC lamented chronic underfunding in the education sector, noting that budgetary allocation has consistently fallen below 10 per cent of the national budget, against UNESCO’s benchmark of 15–26 per cent. He said universities are forced to rely heavily on Internally Generated Revenue, leaving little for research and innovation.

He further urged lawmakers to legislate a mandatory N1bn annual allocation for each first-generation university, while advocating for alternative funding models such as public-private partnerships, alumni endowments, philanthropy, education bonds, and diaspora-led investments.

Ogundipe, now Pro-Chancellor of Redeemer’s University, also called on the private sector, civil society, religious institutions, and donor agencies to support education not just as social responsibility but as an investment in national development.

“To alumni, home and abroad, remember the institutions that shaped you now need your support. Give, mentor, endow, and advocate for your alma mater and the next generation,” he said.

The forum was attended by senior management of The PUNCH, including Mrs. Valerie Omowunmi Tunde-Obe, Mr. Obafemi Obadare, Mr. Olayinka Popoola, Mrs. Mary Ubani, and several editorial executives.