Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), has disclosed that 239 out of 256 first-class graduates hired as lecturers between 2015 and 2022 left the institution by October 2023 due to low salaries and poor working conditions.
Speaking at The Punch Forum on August 26, 2025, Ogundipe revealed that only 17 of these top talents remained, warning that without urgent reforms, Nigeria’s universities risk losing more academics, potentially leaving only female lecturers in the next decade.
“Between 2015 and 2022, we employed 256 first-class graduates—86 in 2015, 82 in 2016, and 88 during my tenure from 2017 to 2022. As of October 2023, only 17 were left. They’ve gone due to poor pay and harsh conditions,” Ogundipe said.
He criticized the Federal Government’s N10 million loan offer to academics as inadequate, noting it fails to address basic needs like infrastructure or security.
Ogundipe highlighted chronic underfunding in Nigeria’s education sector, with budgets consistently below UNESCO’s recommended 15–26%, leading to dilapidated facilities, limited research, and a lack of digital advancement.
“Nigeria has 10 to 22 million out-of-school children, the highest globally. Over 60% of primary education funds go to salaries, leaving little for innovation or infrastructure,” he stated.
To address the crisis, Ogundipe proposed innovative funding models, including public-private partnerships, alumni endowments, education bonds, and technology-driven investments to close the $100 billion annual education financing gap in low-income countries.
He urged alumni to contribute through donations and mentorship and called on civil society, faith-based groups, and the media to advocate for prioritizing education.
“The private sector must see education as an investment in tomorrow’s workforce and markets,” he emphasized.
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