Education
Japa blamed as lecturers shortage hits varsities
The Academic Staff Union of Universities branches in separate interviews with The PUNCH on Sunday confirmed this, adding that the shortage was due to the surge in the exit of the lecturers out of Nigeria and the concerns around the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System.
ASUU at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, said about 100 lecturers had left the university, while the union at the Federal University, Gusau, Zamfara, disclosed that the institution was in need of about 1,000 lecturers to fill the vacancies created by those who had left.
The union at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State said over 350 academic vacancies were available at the institution, while 27 lecturers had left two faculties at the University of Lagos, as 100 workers at the University of Uyo travelled out of the country.
The union disclosed that about 500 academic vacancies existed at the University of Ilorin in Kwara State, while both academic and non-academic staff of the Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology were leaving the country.
The Chairman, Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa, Ondo State, Dr. Rotimi Olorunsola, said many of the staff of the institution, both academic and non-academic, had left the university.
Japa in varsities
Olorunsola said, “Yes, some have japa (travelled out of the country), both the academic staff and non-academic.”
The Head of the Media and Protocol, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Mr Victor Akinpelumi, confirmed that many workers of the institution had moved out of the institution.
“It is true many workers, both academic and non-academic, have left the university, but as I am now, I can’t give a specific number. I can confirm that many workers of the university have gone,” he stated.
The Chairman of ASUU, University of Benin, Dr Ray Chikogu, said the shortage of staff in UNIBEN and other universities had been a problem that existed for a long time due to the embargo on employment by the Federal Government.
He said this constituted undue interference by the government in the running of the universities, especially as it affected the recruitment and promotion of staff.
He said, “The teaching staff department is grossly understaffed. For a very long time, academic staff have been overburdened with work in the University of Benin and many other universities in the country.
“It has been a problem for a number of years now because of the embargo on employment in federal universities and the process of recruitment of staff is a very cumbersome one. The university has to obtain permission from the head of service through the accountant-general’s office.
“This is interference by the Federal Government on the internal affairs of the school. What should have been handled by university senates and councils has now been centralised to the point that everything has been muddled up in the university system. It is a very sad situation.
“Many are retiring and they are not being replaced and due to the unfavourable condition much academic staff work under, they have left their jobs and travelled abroad to seek greener pastures, adding to the big problem of brain drain, which is taking its toll on the university system and nothing is being done about it. It appears that the Federal Government is deliberately suffocating the system for reasons best known to them.”
Bureaucratic bottlenecks
The ASUU Chairman at the Federal University of Kashere, Gombe State, Dr Shehu El-rasheed, said a lot of vacancies existed in the varsity due to bureaucratic bottlenecks.
He said, “A lot of vacancies exist but filling the vacancies has become very difficult due to the tough bureaucratic bottlenecks. A vice-chancellor needs to get clearance from about seven Federal Government agencies and parastatals before a single staffer is recruited.
“Senior professors are retiring and no replacement. In FUK, academic staff are leaving in numbers to countries such Malaysia, Oman, New Zealand, and the US.”
El-Rasheed noted that inadequate academic staff in FUK could be associated with inadequate funding, “by the Federal Government and bureaucratic bottlenecks brought by IPPIS; poor remuneration and harsh economic conditions.”
IPP was introduced by the Federal Government a few years ago as part of measures to solve the problem of ghost workers and civil servants who earned multiple salaries.
However, a lot of workers, particularly those in universities, are not comfortable with the initiative, as it does not enable the institutions to employ workers even when such universities are highly understaffed.
The management of the Obafemi Awolowo University and the leadership of ASUU in the institution, while speaking in separate interviews, said there was a shortage of staff members in the university.
The Chairman of the OAU ASUU, Prof Tony Odiwe, decried the poor treatment of academic staff members and demanded a better working environment for the lecturers.
He said, “The government doesn’t care about the system, treating us as if we are slaves, terrible conditions of service, no motivation, and poor facilities. In addition to this, retired members are not being replaced, we are extremely overworked.”
On the shortage of lecturers, Odiwe said, “Our members have gone and many are still planning to leave especially, the younger ones in the system.
“Yes, Japa has contributed immensely to it. It is natural as humans that we want to work or live in a place where we are valued, where we will be fulfilled and contribute to the growth and development of our society.
“Yes, retirement has contributed to it. For example in my department, over five of our members have retired in the last five years and they have not been replaced. You should also add the fact that some of our members have passed on. The IPPIS has caused enormous damage and the earlier it is scrapped the better for all of us.”
Speaking on behalf of the management, OAU Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Olanrewaju, said the institution was facing a shortage of both academic and non-academic staff.
Olanrewaju, however, could not give the number of vacancies in the institution.
He urged the Federal Government to allow the Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Simeon Bamire, to fill vacancies that exist within the institution’s workforce.
In Katsina State, the issue of inadequate academic staff in the state-owned Umaru Musa Yar’adua University was raised by workers in the institution.
Findings showed the institution made use of visiting lecturers from the nearby Federal University, Dutsinma, and from other universities across Nigeria.
It was also found that many of the university lecturers also handled extra courses aside from those assigned to them because of inadequate academic staff.
Meanwhile, the ASUU Chairman of the Federal University, Dutsinma, Dr Jibrin Shagari, said, “The FUDMA is affected by mass academy staff exodus, two professors exited the Faculty of Management Sciences last month, as well as a lecturer.
“Some of the staff died, while some slumped and are suffering from stroke. Many academic staff have lost interest in their jobs because of insecurity, overloaded work, non-living wages, no leave due to semester running, withheld salaries, wages, and promotion arrears.
The ASUU Chairman, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Prof. Nurudeen Almustapha, called on the government and other relevant authorities to urgently address the issue of brain drain in Nigerian universities.
He said the brain drain was a result of the japa syndrome, as well as the non-replacement of retiring staff.
“We are having a serious shortage of lecturers here at UDUS, and I know the issue of Japa syndrome among university lecturers cannot be overlooked.
“Most of the young lecturers who are still very energetic now look for opportunities outside the country where they can explore their God-given talent better.
“Also, there has not been any recruitment in the last few years to replace those who are retiring or leaving the profession for greener pastures.
He, however, confirmed that between the year 2000 and now, at least 100 persons had left the school either due to retirement or japa syndrome.
The chairman further said the introduction of IPPIS also contributed to the problem faced by the universities in the country.
“The introduction of IPPIS was also a major factor contributing to Japa in the school as most of those leaving the system are citing irregular payments,” he stated.
Education
Coal City University Slams Sahara Reporters Report as False, Malicious, Demands Retraction
Education
Nigerian Polymath Kamdi Okeke Graduates Summa Cum Laude, Secures Historic $442,044 Medical Scholarship in USA
Kamdi Okeke, 21, an international student from Nigeria on June 11, 2026, graduated summa cum laude (First-Class with Highest Distinction) from Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering.
This August, with a 3.95 GPA, a 521 MCAT, and rich background in community service, Biomedical and AI innovation, he is heading to medical school to pursue his MD. After recieving acceptances from five top-tier U.S. institutions – including the Ivy League’s Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) – and a waitlist spot at Johns Hopkins, he is ready to begin his medical journey. His admission to UPenn comes with one of the most significant academic honors in the United States: the Perelman School of Medicine Twenty-First Century Scholars’ Award. This meritorious scholarship covers the full cost of tuition, fees and attendance for the four-year MD program – a testament to his status as one of the most promising medical students in the United States.
Okeke’s Award letter reads in part, “Congratulations!You have been selected to recieve the prestigious Twenty-First Century Scholars’ Award at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. This meritorious scholarship … provides 4 years of full tuition and fees for the MD program. Beyond its significant financial value, the award recognizes an applicant’s outstanding achievement and leadership across a variety of domains, including natural, social and behavioral sciences, arts and humanities, civic and global engagement, community service, and entrepreneurship. Receiving this award is also a testament to your future leadership potential within medicine and healthcare, which we look forward to developing further at Perelman School of Medicine. Our stellar faculty is committed to providing you with a comprehensive medical education that is enriched with myriad curricular opportunities and extracurricular experiences to help you attain all of your career goals … We are all here to support your medical education at the Perelman School of Medicine, and hope you will make Philadelphia your home for the next several years, if not beyond! … we look forward to the privilege of providing you with a superlative education within a phenomenal University community.”
This award, one of the most prestigious in global medical education, follows Okeke’s trajectory of excellence that spans two continents and multiple disciplines.
A Foundation of Excellence/COVID-19 Community Response in Nigeria
Okeke’s journey to the pinnacle of American medical education began in Enugu, Nigeria. A true polymath, he graduated top of his Spring of Life Secondary School class of 2021, recording historic performance with straight distinctions in WAEC/SSCE.
Earlier at 15, Okeke demonstrated leadership in community service during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 when he founded Youth Advocacy Against COVID-19 (YAAC) in Enugu. The initiative mobilized student volunteers to promote public health awareness through social media campaign on coronavirus containment.
The group also designed, produced and distributed protective face shields against Covid-19 infection. Speaking to a Nigeria national daily, The Sun, on 26 November, 2020, concerning the face shield project, Okeke explained, “We developed a cost-effective design for transparent face shields using Fusion 360 design software to create the visual representation of the face shield we wanted to make. Then, to keep our organization out of project pinch and have a proper project plan over time, we developed Gantt Charts, our project management tool, which assisted us in the planning and scheduling aspects of the projects, indicating the status of, as well as who is responsible for, each task in the project. We were thus able to effectively manage time and resources to maximize production. To fund the project, we emptied our piggy banks as we searched for, and procured, the materials for the production of the face shields: transparent film, 1.75mm thick foam, elastic bands, gum, adhesive tape, stapler machine, pins and other miscellaneous materials. After purchasing the first stock of the raw materials, we converted the family study into a makeshift workshop and production started.”
The group distributed more than 2000 protective face shields to healthcare workers and students across hospitals and schools in Enugu state, supporting frontline pandemic response efforts.
Awards at Drexel University
During his undergraduate studies in the US, Okeke’s tenure was marked by significant contributions to the scientific and entrepreneurial communities. He distinguished himself through academic excellence, innovation, entrepreneurship and leadership, earning multiple competitive awards. These include:
(i) Paul Scheffler Endowed Award: Recognition for “Outstanding Contribution” to his field of study – for two consecutive years, 2025 and 2026,
(ii) Baiada Institute Innovation Tournament — 1st place prize, 2024 – awarded for the most compelling startup concept and strongest presentation to the judging panel,
(iii) Spring Drexel Startups Fund Competition Winner, 2024 & 2026, granted to startups/ventures demonstrating exceptional ideas with clear value propositions, strong execution capabilities, and scalable business models,
(iv) Tau Beta Pi (TBP) National Engineering Honor Society Membership, 2024, recognizing students in the top eight percent of their engineering class,
(v) Dean’s List — winter 2022 to graduation
(vi) A.J. Drexel Scholarship and Drexel Grants: 2022 – 2026, in recognition of his undergraduate potential.
Research Work at University of Pennsylvania
Okeke participated in orthopedic research at the McKay Orthopedic Research Laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania, where, besides contributing to develop wearable sensor algorithms quantifying real-world knee loading in veterans with osteoarthritis, he worked on biomechanics and rehabilitation studies investigating mobility during pregnancy, and tendon healing following injury.
His work contributed to ongoing studies aimed at understanding degenerative joint conditions and improving musculoskeletal health outcomes.
Meddibia: Bridging Healthcare Technology Gaps in Nigeria
As an intern working with modern Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems in U.S. healthcare settings, and worried by his own experience with paper-based medical record back home in Nigeria, Okeke identified an opportunity to improve healthcare equity in sub-Saharan Africa. He collaborated with two other partners in Meddibia, an AI-powered healthcare software startup, to develop Meddibia EMR (Electronic Medical Record) system tailored for low-resource environments of sub-Saharan Africa.
The platform digitizes paper medical records while maintaining functionality despite unreliable electricity and internet connectivity. The goal is to modernize healthcare documentation and improve patient access across sub-Saharan Africa.
The team emerged the top winner of the spring 2024 Drexel Startups Fund Competition hosted by the Charles D. Close School of Entrepreneurship.
Evaluating and highlighting its mission to digitize medical records in underserved regions, the Philadelphia-based Starter’s Review, a news outlet that covers broader Philadelphia startup landscape, on August 20, 2024, hailed Meddibia as “a beacon of hope for millions of people in developing countries.” It went further to write, “The Drexel community is proud to support these young innovators”.
WazobiaCode: Expanding Opportunities through Coding Education
Motivated by economic inequality he witnessed amongst his peers while growing up in Nigeria, Okeke led a multi-disciplinary team of Nigerian students in the U.S. who co-founded WazobiaCode, a nonprofit initiative dedicated to teaching programming skills to underserved youth across sub-Saharan Africa.
The organization launched a pilot online coding boot camp in Nigeria, aimed at equipping young people with marketable digital skills and improving their employment prospects. The initiative competed at the Drexel University Baiada Institute Innovation Tournament in the spring of 2024, and came tops. The award enabled the team to offer the pilot program in Nigeria, free of charge, to participants which equipped hundreds of Nigerian youth with digital skills.
Cofounding Xploit: AI Security Innovation
In November 2025, Okeke turned his attention to the burgeoning field of AI security. He co-founded Xploit, an autonomous cybersecurity tool designed to identify vulnerabilities in AI agents. The platform addresses emerging risks as businesses increasingly deploy AI systems capable of performing real-world actions using integrated tools.
The team developed Xploit as an automated red-teaming platform that simulates attacks on AI agents to detect weaknesses before malicious actors can exploit them. The startup first pitched at the
Startup-in-a-Weekend Hackathon hosted by The Foundry & Velric between November 21 to 23, 2025 in Philadelphia where it competed amongst over 100 entries and won the star prize in the “New Project Track” category.
Later, Xploit proved its worth at the Venture Building Hackathon in Philadelphia hosted, March 12 – 14, 2026, by United Effects Ventures (UEV), a pre-seed venture studio sponsored by JP Morgan, Nvidia and others.
Outperforming 15 other competing teams, Xploit secured the grand prize, with industry experts hailing Xploit’s pivot toward a “continuous red-teaming model” as the definitive future of AI vulnerability management, a promising solution particularly for small and medium-sized businesses lacking dedicated cybersecurity teams.
Lately, on June 9, 2026, Xploit got a further boost in the spring 2026 Drexel Startups Fund Competition where it won the star prize in funding, in addition to access to mentorship, incubation space in the Baiada Institute, and introduction to angel and venture capital funding from the University’s alumni network.
A Path toward Medicine and Global Impact
For Okeke, the upcoming move to medical training at UPenn is less of a pivot and more of a convergence. His work to date which sits at a rare and vital intersection – spanning biomedical research, automated AI safety platforms, and youth empowerment – reflects a deeply rooted commitment to leveling playing fields and democratizing technology.
His trajectory stands as a powerful testament to what is possible, offering a masterclass in global ambition for international students, demonstrating that a rigorous Nigerian secondary school education can serve as a launch pad to the highest echelons of the Ivy League. More than just a personal milestone, his story underscores the rising tide of Nigerian innovators shaping global academia, and the immense potential of tech-driven solutions to close worldwide healthcare disparities.
Ultimately, Okeke’s journey, stretching from distinction-strewn beginnings in Enugu to the historic halls of Ivy League medicine, embodies the true spirit of a modern polymath: versatile, resilient, and relentlessly excellent.
The management of Prince Abubakar Audu University (PAAU), Anyigba, has banned students from bringing personal cars and motorcycles, particularly Haojue, TVS and other commercial-style motorcycles, into the campus until further notice.
The decision is part of a series of stringent security measures introduced following the June 11 security breach that claimed the life of a 300-level Biochemistry student, David Ocholi Solomon.
In a notice signed by the Registrar, Mr. Siyaka Audu, the university said the measures were approved at the institution’s 401st Regular Meeting of the University Management Committee held on June 15, 2026, to strengthen security within and around the campus.
The management also prohibited the entry of tinted vehicles, vehicles with concealed number plates, and unregistered cars and motorcycles into the institution. Staff members with approved tint permits have been directed to register their vehicles with the Chief Security Officer (CSO).
As part of access control measures, the university announced that the main gate would serve as the only entry and exit point for vehicles, while all other gates would be restricted to pedestrian movement.
The management further directed the CSO to conduct a comprehensive registration and identification exercise for commercial motorcycle operators (okada riders) operating around the campus in collaboration with their union leaders. A speed limit of 35 kilometres per hour within the university environment will also be strictly enforced.
According to the notice, the institution plans to engage solar-powered tricycle operators to complement existing shuttle services and reduce reliance on motorcycles for transportation within the campus.
The university also made it mandatory for all staff and students to visibly display their identity cards while on campus, pending the completion of the ongoing ID card issuance exercise. Vehicle owners will be issued identification tallies, while the replacement of lost tallies will attract a fee of N5,000.
In addition, all visitors to the campus must undergo proper identification and security screening before gaining access. The management also disclosed plans to identify and block illegal routes leading into the institution to prevent unauthorized entry.
To enforce discipline, the university warned that any department or student found violating the existing ban on end-of-examination celebrations would face severe sanctions, including the cancellation of examinations written on the affected day.
Such examinations, the notice stated, can only be retaken during the corresponding semester of the next academic session after the payment of fresh school fees.
The management further revealed that the Kogi State Government is providing Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras and other security gadgets at strategic locations across the campus to enhance surveillance and crime prevention.
The university also reiterated that the suspension of all unauthorized student gatherings and social activities remains in force until further notice. Additionally, the use of cross-body bags has been prohibited as part of the enhanced security measures.
Management urged staff, students and other stakeholders to cooperate fully with the 11-member committee investigating the security breach and comply with the new directives in the interest of safety and stability.
Education
Ojukwu University: Soludo Inaugurates New Governing Council, Says Former Council Was Dormant
Ojukwu University: Soludo Inaugurates New Council, says former Council Dormant
By Okey Maduforo Awka .
Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra state on Thursday took a swipe on the immediate past Governing Council of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Igbariam describing it’s dormancy as inexplicable.
To this end Soludo at the Light House Awka inaugurated a new set of Governing Council for the institution charging them to be alive to their responsibilities.
“You have a lot of heavy lifting to do,” the Governor stated. “I am confident that with the new leadership of the Council, you will provide nothing short of excellence. Work with the greatest level of integrity, conscientiousness, and passion.
Consider what is best for the university and the generations unborn; we are all birds of passage. What is important is, while you serve, what changed for the better? That is your guiding principle.”
Governor Soludo did not shy away from addressing the systemic challenges that necessitated this transition, noting that the preceding council had remained dormant for reasons he deemed “inexplicable.”
He expressed particular concern regarding the integrity of recent academic recruitment processes. “I got the full report. I had to do my own due diligence.
The Governor expressed full confidence in the new leadership to reverse these trends, stating, “With Professor Peter Onwualu as your Chairman and Pro-Chancellor, your problems are solved. Just get going. Take the university to realize its manifest potential. With the calibre of men and women of such knowledge, expertise, and ‘fire in the belly,’ you will succeed.”
Responding on behalf of the newly inaugurated body, Professor Onwualu affirmed the Council’s commitment to transformation. “This will be a different Council,” he assured.
“We intend to make COOU one of the top three state universities in the country. The problem of weak institutions is a Nigerian problem, but we will make COOU a very strong university. We covet the Governor’s support to make this happen.”he noted .
NSUKKA, ENUGU STATE — The management of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), has assured staff, students and parents of adequate security on campus, dismissing as false and unsubstantiated reports circulating on social media about an alleged impending terrorist attack and mass abduction of students.
In a statement issued on Saturday by the Acting Public Relations Officer of the university, Mr. Inya Agha Egwu, the institution said there was no credible security intelligence or verified threat supporting the claims contained in the viral social media post.
The university, however, disclosed that it had adopted additional precautionary measures to further strengthen security across the Nsukka campus.
According to the statement, personnel of the Nigerian Police Force and the Nigerian Army have been deployed to strategic entry points within the university to complement the efforts of the institution’s security unit.
Management also announced the temporary closure of some access gates to the campus to enhance monitoring and regulation of movement into and out of the university.
As part of the new security measures, motorcycle operations within the campus have been suspended with immediate effect. Only motorcycles belonging to authorised security personnel will be allowed beyond the university gates.
Staff members who use motorcycles for transportation have been advised to park them at designated locations outside the campus before proceeding to their offices.
The university urged members of the academic community to remain calm and continue their normal activities without fear, stressing that there was no known security threat to the institution.
It also cautioned against the spread of unverified information capable of causing unnecessary panic and anxiety among students, staff and the general public.
While reiterating its commitment to maintaining a safe environment for teaching, learning and research, the management encouraged students and staff to remain vigilant and promptly report any suspicious movement or activity to the University Security Department or relevant security agencies.
“Security is a collective responsibility, and the cooperation of all staff, students and stakeholders is essential in maintaining the peaceful and secure environment for which the University of Nigeria is known,” the statement said.
The university further advised the public to treat anonymous social media posts and unverified online messages with caution, particularly those containing sensational claims intended to generate fear and uncertainty.
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