Salary of Lecturers: How Much Does a Nigerian Professor earn?
This post contains how much a Nigerian professor earns per annum and the salary of a Nigerian lecturer from lecturer 2, senior lecturer to a professor yearly in a typical university in Nigeria.
It is often said that the academic system is where the best profession lies. You might be wondering how much a professor is paid for lecturing. Truth being said, university lecturers salary in Nigeria isn’t that bad. Although, you have to start as a graduate assistant before you attain such heights in education sector.
Below is a breakdown or list of how much Nigerian lecturers is paid from lecturer II to professor level per annum after minimum wage was increased this 2024
Salaries of Nigerian Lecturers (2024)
1. Lecturer II earns N1,649,509 to N1,979,640 yearly.
2. Lecturer I is paid N2,079,996 to N2,684,010 per annum.
3. Senior Lecturer earns N3,091,505 to 4,455,506 per annum.
4. Reader earns N3,768,221 to N5,004,750 Naira yearly.
5. A Professor in Nigeria earns N4,580,349- N6,020,163 yearly.
As seen from the salaries of lecturers in Nigeria above, a Nigerian professor is paid far more than the rest. In Nigeria, only a few civil servants salary could match that. Its no surprise that graduates are vying for lecturing jobs in Nigeria. Although, private universities pay higher than both state and federal universities.
This does not mean that the work of being a lecturer in a Nigerian university isn’t stressful. The job requires passion, effort, sacrifice and discipline. Apart from the fact that professors are paid huge amount of salary, they still go sabbatical leave which allows them do per time contract job with other universities.
For private university lecturers, they are normally paid from N130,000 to N140,000 on average. For example, Covenant university, a private academic institution pays its lecturers about N135,000 to N149k depending on the level. For University of Lagos (UNILAG), its from N116,000 to N125,000 on average before minimum wage was increased this 2019.
How To Become A Professor in Nigeria
Becoming a professor in any Nigerian universities is what most lecturers or academicians want in life. Although, the career path in becoming one isn’t easy, the benefits attached and the respect you get in the society isn’t something to be taken for granted.
A professor is seen as an expert in any course of study. Its like a teacher’s final rank that one attains at any academic institution or university be it in the arts, sciences, or any department.
Below are the steps you need to take in becoming a professor in Nigeria
#1. Earn an undergraduate degree in any recognized university
This is the first step to becoming a university prof. You would need to earn a bachelor’s degree. It is the requirement for every student entering a tertiary institution as he or she must be a graduate in a course of study and it must be from a NUC accredited university.
#2. Select the course/subject to focus in
Those who wish to become a professor must carefully select a subject or course to focus so as to teach and become an expert in such area of study.
Most student might gain valuable knowledge during their undergraduate degree but it might not be enough especially if you are the the that want to further your career in being a professor in that subject. You can participate in an internship programme to expand your horizon and skills.
#3. Earning a graduate degree
Future professors must earn a graduate degree be it master’s degree or a doctoral degree. For professors at community colleges, the requirement is to earn a master’s degree, but for universities and colleges, you must have to earn a doctorate.
#4. Participate in an assistantship
You would have to enroll in an assistantship program to further your career as a professor. Most student engage in such at the university which help them gain some points in their degree when they participate in an assistantship.
Although there are different programs to enroll in, find the one that would suit you but be advised that while you work a certain number of hours every week, you must still maintain a sound GPA.
#5. Get post-doctoral experience
This involves having researched works, published journals, textbooks and other academic write-ups to your name so that you would have also contributed to the subject or course of expertise in order to compete for professor positions.
Conclusion
Having a career as a professor requires all these steps and more if possible. You must always be able and open to learn new things in your area of study. Well from the above, you would notice that salaries of Nigerian professors are even more higher than that of ordinary lecturers because they are more valued and are few.
