Nigerian university lecturers are among the lowest paid in Africa. A professor in Nigeria earns about $366 per month, around N500,000, which equals $4,400 yearly.
In South Africa, professors earn $57,471 yearly. That is more than 13 times higher. Uganda pays $50,595, Kenya $48,000, and Eswatini $41,389. Even smaller economies like Lesotho ($32,455), Gabon ($29,907), and Sierra Leone ($18,000) offer better pay.
Other countries with higher pay include:
- Namibia: $23,922
- Botswana: $19,935
- Angola: $15,948
- Seychelles: $13,950
- Ghana: $12,960
- Mauritius: $12,411
- Malawi: $12,366
- Zimbabwe: $6,579
The poor pay has lowered morale and forced many lecturers to leave for jobs in government agencies, private institutions, or foreign universities.
Some examples show the gap:
- A professor on a fellowship chose to be paid by an external funder instead of collecting less than €350 monthly in Nigeria.
- A lecturer returning from the EFCC saw his pay drop from nearly N1 million to N250,000.
- Professors on sabbatical with the Army earn around N2 million monthly with allowances, compared to N350,000 at the University of Ibadan.
Passion for teaching no longer keeps many in the system. Lecturers say poor conditions push capable academics out while “political academics” with fewer contributions stay.
Under the current salary structure:
- Graduate Assistants earn N125,000–N138,020
- Assistant Lecturers: N150,000–N171,487
- Lecturer II: N186,543–N209,693
- Lecturer I: N239,292–N281,956
- Senior Lecturer: N386,101–N480,780
- Reader: N436,392–N522,212
- Professor: N525,010–N633,333
A former Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos said he earned N900,000 as VC but now earns N700,000 as professor. He admitted lecturers are demoralized, with some sleeping in their offices.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities says stagnant salaries are the fault of government neglect. Union leaders argue that poor pay has damaged teaching quality, reduced research output, and made it hard to attract talent.
Lecturers recall the last renegotiation was in 2009. Government adjustments have been minimal, such as a flat N40,000 addition tied to the minimum wage.
Professors warn that without urgent salary reviews, strikes are likely. Some say many lecturers can no longer afford rent, healthcare, or their children’s school fees.
Salary data show that even in countries with smaller economies, lecturers are treated better. Nigerian academics continue to leave for opportunities abroad or outside universities.
The data in this article comes from the following source.
