ASUU Condemns Brain Drain as 309 Professors Leave Public Universities

Rising Concerns Over Brain Drain in Nigerian Public Universities

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has raised serious concerns about the mass exodus of senior academics from Nigeria’s public universities. According to recent revelations, at least 309 professors have resigned within the last nine months, seeking better working conditions abroad. This alarming trend has sparked fears of a growing "intellectual haemorrhage" that could threaten the very survival of public universities in the country.

Professor Abubakar Sabo, the ASUU Zonal Chairman for Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, and Katsina States, disclosed this information during a town hall meeting organized by the ASUU Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto branch at the institution’s City Campus. He emphasized that many scholars are relocating to countries such as the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Cameroon, and beyond, driven by the lack of adequate working conditions in Nigeria.

“From the last action we had until now, we lost about 309 professors — some to private universities in Nigeria, others to the UK, Saudi Arabia, Cameroon, and beyond,” Sabo said. “Our intellectual capital is being drained because the conditions of service no longer make it possible for many to stay and teach.”

He warned that ASUU may soon embark on a two-week warning strike if the Federal Government continues to ignore the union’s demands regarding funding, earned allowances, and improved working conditions. “We have been patient long enough. Our duty is to salvage public universities. If the government continues to ignore us, we will not fold our arms while the system collapses,” he declared.

Government Neglect and Complicated Negotiations

Sabo accused the Federal Government of frustrating negotiations, pointing out that despite the submission of the Yayale Ahmed Committee report in January 2025, no tangible action has been taken. “When we gave a two-week ultimatum, the government only began making calls — then invited other tertiary unions like those of polytechnics and colleges of education to complicate the process. That’s a ploy to overstretch the education budget and frustrate our struggle,” he alleged.

He added that ASUU’s demands include better remuneration, implementation of previously signed agreements, respect for university autonomy, and the provision of adequate funding to restore standards in the education sector.

Earlier, ASUU-UDUS Chairperson, Prof. Muhammad Almustapha, said the town hall was convened to alert Nigerians to the deepening rot in the university system and the government’s failure to honor its commitments. “Over the years, ASUU has, unfortunately, become synonymous with strikes because government hardly honours its promises. It has become a cycle of broken promises and dashed hopes,” he declared.

The Impact of Economic Challenges

Soaring inflation and a weak currency have drastically reduced the purchasing power of fixed salaries, making it financially unsustainable for many senior academics to remain in Nigeria. This economic pressure is pushing more professors to seek opportunities abroad where their skills and expertise are valued and adequately compensated.

The meeting, attended by lecturers, students, civil society groups, and media representatives, ended with a call for urgent intervention to stem the brain drain and rescue Nigeria’s public universities from imminent collapse.

A History of Unfulfilled Agreements

The FG and ASUU have a history of agreements, including the 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement and the 2020 Memorandum of Action, which the union alleges have been repeatedly ignored or only partially implemented by the government. ASUU has embarked on numerous prolonged strikes over the decades, the most recent major one being the eight-month strike in 2022. These strikes paralyze the academic calendar but are used by ASUU as its primary leverage to force government action.