A recent investigation has revealed that university professors in Nigeria earn among the lowest salaries across the African continent, receiving an average of $366 per month, or roughly ₦500,000, placing them far behind their peers in other African nations.
According to data compiled on professors with under 10 years of experience in public universities, a South African professor earns $57,471 annually, more than 13 times what a Nigerian professor earns.
Professors in Uganda ($50,595), Kenya ($48,000), Eswatini ($41,389), and Lesotho ($32,455) also significantly out-earn Nigerian academics.
Even in countries with much smaller economies such as Gabon ($29,907), Sierra Leone ($18,000), Zambia ($14,949), and Comoros ($12,960), professors earn more than their Nigerian counterparts.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation and one of its largest economies, ranks near the bottom of the list.
Country Monthly Pay ($) Annual Pay ($)
South Africa 4,789.5 57,471
Uganda 4,216.22 50,595
Kenya 4,000 48,000
Eswatini 3,449.01 41,389
Lesotho 2,704.5 32,455
Gabon 2,492.25 29,907
Namibia 1,993.50 23,922
Botswana 1,661.25 19,935
Sierra Leone 1,500 18,000
Ghana 1,080 12,960
Nigeria 366.66 4,400
Multiple lecturers told our correspondent that the widening pay disparity has worsened morale, triggered mass exits from the system, and pushed many to seek roles in government agencies, foreign institutions or the private sector.
One professor recounted turning down their Nigerian salary to accept a foreign fellowship.
The eligibility requirement? Earning less than €1,200 per month, a threshold the Nigerian salary didn’t meet, as it barely equated to €350.
Another academic highlighted the case of a lecturer who earned nearly ₦1 million monthly on sabbatical at the EFCC, but returned to a university salary of just ₦250,000, a stark contrast even to ND (National Diploma) holders in some institutions.
Some have moved permanently to government agencies. A department at the University of Ibadan, for example, reportedly lost three professors to federal agencies offering ₦2 million per month, in addition to generous allowances and benefits, including five-star accommodations during trips.
One lecturer shared that a friend who once returned to academics out of passion now plans to leave for good.
“He came back to earn ₦180,000 because he loved teaching. But now he’s choked, the system has broken him,” they said.
Many echoed the same concern: passion alone can no longer justify staying in academia.
“Before, people would say, ‘If we leave, who will teach our children?’ But now they ask, ‘Why should I work hard and still not afford quality education or healthcare for my family?’”
As quality lecturers exit, some fear the vacuum is being filled by politically connected but academically weak individuals.
“The people with real value are leaving. Meanwhile, political academics with little to offer are being recruited,” said a senior lecturer.
President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof. Emmanuel Piwuna, blamed the salary crisis on long-standing government neglect.
“Professors who once earned a little over ₦400,000 still haven’t reached ₦500,000 today, except those with decades of annual increases,” he said.
“Yet, politicians continue to approve new pay raises for themselves.”
Piwuna added that the salary stagnation had discouraged fresh talent from joining academia and undermined academic output nationwide.
“Morale is low, and that affects the quality of education. If our pay remains frozen, our universities can’t compete, locally or internationally.”
Prof. Tunde Adeoye, a Senior Lecturer at the University of Lagos, also called on the Federal Government to renegotiate the 2009 agreement with ASUU.
“Many lecturers can’t even pay rent. Countries like Kenya and Zimbabwe now pay better than Nigeria. Urgent action is needed to avoid another strike,” he warned.
He noted that after deductions, professors often take home just ₦300,000 monthly.
Breakdown of Nigeria’s University Salary Structure (Pre-deductions):
Graduate Assistant: ₦125,000 – ₦138,020
Assistant Lecturer: ₦150,000 – ₦171,487
Lecturer II: ₦186,543 – ₦209,693
Lecturer I: ₦239,292 – ₦281,956
Senior Lecturer: ₦386,101 – ₦480,780
Reader (Assoc. Prof): ₦436,392 – ₦522,212
Professor: ₦525,010 – ₦633,333
Former UNILAG VC, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, revealed he earned ₦900,000 as VC and now receives ₦700,000 as a professor.
“My son saw my payslip and called it a joke. Lecturers are tired. Some sleep in their offices,” he said.
Despite being Africa’s biggest economy, Nigeria pays its professors less than Zimbabwe and Malawi, a fact many believe reflects the country’s misplaced priorities.
As lecturers continue to leave and students feel the impact, stakeholders warn that unless salaries are urgently reviewed, Nigeria risks losing the core of its academic system to brain drain and disillusionment.
