Former Vice-Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Prof. Wande Abimbola, has sounded a strong warning about the worsening state of Nigeria’s university system, saying it is on the verge of total collapse if urgent action is not taken.

Prof. Abimbola made the remarks while speaking as a guest on Boiling Point Arena, where he passionately lamented the poor welfare of lecturers and the near-absence of government support for higher education.

According to him, the salary of a full professor in Nigeria is nothing short of embarrassing.

“About two years ago, I visited the university where I once served as Vice-Chancellor. When I stopped by my department, I was told that a full professor earns around ₦500,000 a month. When we converted that amount, it was about $300 — money that an academic in the United States could spend just to hire someone to tend to his garden for a few hours,” he said.

The scholar, who also served as Senate Majority Leader in the past, said the continuous neglect of universities in terms of funding and infrastructure is alarming.

 “The system is getting worse every year. I honestly don’t know how university staff are still able to survive on such meagre pay,” he added.

Prof. Abimbola recalled that during his tenure as Vice-Chancellor in 1989, Nigeria’s universities were still vibrant and ranked among the best globally.

“Our institutions were still at their peak of quality then. But less than 10 years after I left, I returned and almost wept at what I saw. The level of decay was shocking — and it has only worsened since then,” he said.

He criticized the Federal and State Governments for continuously establishing new universities without making provisions to adequately fund the existing ones.

“Why open more universities when the ones we have are already in crisis? It shows that the government is not serious. If they cannot fund the existing universities properly, they should stop creating new ones. It is a national embarrassment,” he declared.

To save the situation, Prof. Abimbola called on the Federal Government to urgently set up a Commission of Inquiry that will recommend actionable steps to revive the education sector.

“Funding is the most critical factor. We must ask why government at both federal and state levels have allowed things to get this bad. The time to act is now. We need a commission that will study the situation and chart a way forward before it is too late,” he urged.

The former Vice-Chancellor concluded by lamenting Nigeria’s loss of global academic recognition, noting that universities that were once ranked among the top 500 worldwide and top 11 in Africa have now fallen behind.

> “Our universities are slowly dying before our eyes. If nothing is done, we may lose what is left of the system. It is a big shame,” he concluded.