ABU loses 2,000 staff, widening Nigeria’s higher‑ed talent drain

ABU loses 2,000 staff, widening Nigeria’s higher‑ed talent drain

When Ahmadu Bello University disclosed that roughly 2,000 employees have walked out for better‑pay jobs, the academic community felt a jolt. The university’s Kabir Bala, Vice‑Chancellor, made the announcement on 15 November 2024 at the campus auditorium in Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria. He warned that the loss threatens research output, teaching quality, and the institution’s reputation as a national flagship.

Background: A chronic brain‑drain in Nigerian academia

Nigeria’s higher education sector has wrestled with a steady outflow of talent for more than a decade. Salaries at public universities lag behind private institutions and foreign offers, while funding cuts have left labs under‑equipped. According to a 2023 report by the Federal Ministry of Education, over 15% of senior lecturers at federal universities have either resigned or taken sabbaticals abroad in the past five years. ABU, founded in 1962 and traditionally a research powerhouse, has now felt the pressure of that trend more acutely than most.

Details of the exodus at ABU

The staff exodus spans both academic and non‑academic cadres. In the Faculty of Science alone, 450 lecturers left, many heading to universities in Kenya, South Africa, and the United Kingdom where salaries are 30‑50% higher. Administrative staff migrated to private firms in Lagos and Abuja, attracted by performance‑based bonuses and modern office environments.

Here are a few snapshot figures:

• 2,000 total departures (≈12% of ABU’s workforce).
• Approx. 620 senior lecturers and professors.
• Nearly 300 support staff moving to the private sector.
• Top destinations: London (≈150), Toronto (≈120), Nairobi (≈90).

"We’re losing people not because they’re dissatisfied with teaching, but because they can’t afford to stay," VC Bala told reporters, adding that many staff cited delayed salary payments and limited research grants as decisive factors.

Impact on students and research

Classes that once ran with full faculty line‑ups are now taught by overburdened adjuncts. Student‑to‑professor ratios in the Faculty of Engineering have jumped from 15:1 to 28:1, a shift that has already lowered pass rates in core courses. Meanwhile, ongoing research projects in renewable energy and virology have stalled; three PhD candidates in the Department of Chemistry were forced to suspend their theses after their supervisors left for a post in Germany.

“Our labs are half empty, and that’s reflected in the number of papers published,” noted Dr. Aisha Umar, head of the university’s Research Ethics Committee. ABU’s 2023 publication count fell 18% compared with 2022, according to the university’s internal metrics.

Responses from stakeholders

The federal government has pledged to revamp the salary structure for university staff, but implementation has been slow. In a recent press conference, Minister of Education Adamu Adamu promised a 15% incremental raise for senior lecturers by mid‑2025, yet critics argue the move is too little, too late.

Private sector recruiters have also been quick to tap the talent pool. A senior HR executive at a Lagos‑based fintech firm, who asked to remain anonymous, said, "We’re actively courting former academics because they bring analytical rigor that’s hard to find elsewhere."

Within ABU, a task force chaired by the Deputy Vice‑Chancellor for Administration has been set up to fast‑track recruitment. The university is now offering a "research‑first" contract package that includes a $5,000 grant for new faculty to establish a lab in their first year.

Future outlook and what’s next

While the immediate focus is on plugging the staffing gaps, long‑term solutions will require systemic reform. Experts suggest that alongside salary adjustments, universities need to improve research funding pipelines, streamline promotion processes, and foster industry‑academic partnerships.

"If ABU can turn this crisis into an opportunity to modernise its employment model, it could set a benchmark for the whole country," said Prof. Chinedu Okeke, a higher‑education analyst at the Centre for African Policy Studies.

For now, the university aims to recruit 1,500 replacements by the end of the 2025 academic year, with a particular emphasis on restoring the science and engineering faculties to full strength.