Naira Devaluation Has Caused ‘Japa’ Tsunami Among Lecturers – UNILAG VC

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof. Folashade Ogunsola, has disclosed that the exchange rate of the naira to the dollar has so devalued the salaries of university workers that most of them have embarked on mass exodus abroad in search of greener pastures – a trend commonly referred to as “Japa” in Nigeria.

Ogunsola, who stated this at the weekend during a media parley, disclosed that the Nigerian education sector suffered from the country’s dwindling economy in 2023, causing the sector to be bereft of young academicians.

“For the education sector, 2023 was a tough time in many respects. The state of the country was not favourable to the academics. The exchange rate made our poor salaries even poorer, and so, from the point of view of the education sector, it was a time when people left in droves. It was a tsunami of exit.

“Many academics, especially our younger lecturers, left the system. Many of the people who didn’t leave are doing it out of patriotism, not for lack of where to go,” she said.

The Vice-Chancellor, however, said the university system needed to design a fund mechanism to sustain and improve the standard of education.

Giving an account of her stewardship since the assumption of office on the 14th of November, 2022, she pointed out that the university made steady progress despite the grim economic climate and many disruptions.

She stressed that the administration was determined to ensure that the university could grow and deliver on its mandate of teaching, research and service through the future-ready agenda encapsulated by the four pillars of growth: Growing the Finance, Growing the Infrastructure, Growing the Reputation and Growing the Manpower (FIRM).

Ogunsola noted that various faculties of the institution had been recognised for research studies and attracted over N11bn research grants in the last year.

The vice chancellor further disclosed that in response to global standards and industry needs, the university was undertaking a major redesign of some of its academic programmes.

“Specifically, we are unbundling our programmes in Architecture, Creative Arts and Mass Communication and establishing them as stand-alone faculties to foster growth in these fields, where we can boast of our distinctive strength,” she said.