Former Vice-Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Prof. Wande Abimbola, has raised alarm over what he described as the impending collapse of Nigeria’s university system unless the Federal Government takes urgent steps to rescue it.
Speaking as a guest on the popular monthly discourse programme, Boiling Point Arena, Prof. Abimbola lamented that Nigerian universities are going through their “worst period ever,” with lecturers earning wages so poor that they cannot meet basic needs, let alone engage in research and international collaborations.
“At the University where I was once Vice-Chancellor, a full professor earns about ₦500,000 monthly. When converted, that is almost the same amount I pay my gardener in the United States for three hours of work,” the 92-year-old scholar said.
Prof. Abimbola, who lectures at leading universities in the U.S. even at his advanced age, recalled that when he left OAU in 1989, the institutions were still at their peak. However, within a decade, he said, “I visited and almost cried at the level of decadence I saw. The situation has only gotten worse since then.”
The former Senate Majority Leader criticized the Federal and State Governments for neglecting the sector while simultaneously establishing more universities.
“Why are they building more universities when the ones we have are starving of funds? It is shameful,” he said, adding that the once well-kept OAU lawns where students used to relax have now been overtaken by weeds.
Abimbola urged the Federal Government to urgently set up a Commission of Inquiry to recommend practical solutions for salvaging the system.
According to him, Nigerian universities — once ranked among the top 500 globally and the first 11 in Africa — now barely make it into the top 1,000, a development he said has severe implications for research and innovation.
“The consequences are dire: impoverished professors who cannot attend international conferences, publish in global journals, or undertake groundbreaking research. Nigerian universities are slowly dying before our very eyes,” he warned.
The discussion, themed “Nigerian Universities: Tower of Crises, Citadel of Missed Opportunities — Can the Lost Glory Be Reclaimed?”, was hosted by media professional Dr. Ayo Arowojolu and chaired by the Olowu of Owu, Oba Prof. Saka Matemilola.
It was streamed live via Zoom and broadcast on six radio stations and a cable TV network.
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