Article Citation: Sule Haurna, L., Yusuf, O. Y., Ibrahim, Z., Achara, I. Z., & Abdullahi, A. Y. (2025). Reviving the Nigerian university system: An Islamic ethical appraisal of academic neglect and policy failure. Al-Takamul International Journal, 1. https://www.al-takamul.com
By
Ladan Sule Haurna, Okala Yunusa Yusuf and Zakaria Ibrahim
Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies, Faculty of Arts and
Humanities,
Prince Abubakar Audu University, Anyigba, Kogi State, Nigeria
ladan.sh@ksu.edu.ng, okala.yy@gmail.com zakariaibrahim@gmail.com
08068515736, 08039579731,
and
Issah Zubairu Achara and Abubakar
Yusuf Abdullahi
Department of Arabic Studies Federal University Lokoja, Kogi
State, Nigeria
issahzubairu@gmail.com, abubakaryusuf990@.com
08036480292 and 08036356574
Abstract
The
Nigerian university education system is in severe crisis, reflected in the
deteriorating welfare of lecturers, poor funding of research, decaying
infrastructure, and declining societal respect for scholarship. This paper,
written from the standpoint of a scholar directly engaged in the university
system, examines the socio-economic hardships confronting Nigerian lecturers,
their implications for national development, and possible solutions. Using a
qualitative analytical methodology based on documentary review, policy
analysis, and interpretation of Islamic textual sources, the study assesses
both contemporary academic conditions and their ethical significance. Findings
indicate that persistent policy failures, chronic underfunding, poor
remuneration, and weak institutional accountability have contributed
significantly to the erosion of academic productivity, brain drain, declining
research quality, and loss of professional dignity among lecturers. Integrating
Islamic ethical perspectives, the paper argues that neglect of education
contradicts Qurʾānic injunctions and Prophetic teachings on knowledge (ʿilm) and justice (ʿadl). The study concludes that
a revival of Nigeria’s educational system requires not only policy reforms and
economic investment but also moral commitment to treat education as both a
right and a divine trust (amānah).
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Keywords: |
Reviving,
Islamic, Academic, Neglect, Policy Failure. |
Introduction
University education in Nigeria has undergone severe structural
decline over the past three decades, resulting in a major crisis that affects
academic productivity, teaching quality, and national development. Numerous
studies indicate that the Nigerian university system has suffered from
prolonged underfunding, leading to deteriorating infrastructure, poor research
output, and worsening conditions of service for academic staff (Okebukola, 7;
Akinyemi, Ofem, and Ikuenomore, 84). This systemic decay is particularly
visible in the increasing frequency of industrial strikes, insufficient
educational budgetary allocation, outdated laboratory facilities, and the
inability of institutions to support staff development through research grants
and international collaboration (Ibidapo-Obe, 15). Nigeria’s annual budgetary
allocation to education has consistently fallen below the UNESCO recommended
benchmark of 15-20 percent of national expenditure, demonstrating a persistent
gap between policy claims and practical commitment to higher education (UNESCO
2021).
The human and intellectual consequences of this neglect are
extensive. Empirical research confirms that many Nigerian lecturers now work
under conditions of economic hardship characterized by salary stagnation,
inadequate welfare provisions, and limited access to academic resources such as
research funding, digital libraries, or professional conferences (Yusuf, 213).
These constraints reduce the capacity of Nigerian universities to retain
high-quality staff or produce cutting-edge research that contributes to
technological and socio-economic advancement. As Odiaka argues, academic
demoralization is now a defining feature of the university space, eroding the
social prestige historically associated with scholarly careers and diminishing
the attractiveness of academia to young graduates (27).
From an Islamic intellectual viewpoint, the decline of education
contradicts the civilizational principles upon which Muslim societies are
expected to operate. Islamic teachings emphasize that knowledge (ʿilm) is both a religious obligation and a cornerstone of social
empowerment. The Qurʾān repeatedly commands believers to pursue learning as a divine
responsibility, stating: “Are those who know equal to those who do not
know?” (Qurʾān, 39:9). Furthermore, the Prophet Muḥammad (peace be upon him)
described the pursuit of knowledge as obligatory upon every Muslim, positioning
education as a communal trust (amānah) that societies must protect and
nourish. Thus, the deterioration of the Nigerian university system is not only
a developmental setback but also a moral failure inconsistent with Islamic
educational ethics emphasizing justice (ʿadl) and social welfare
(Al-Attas, 101).
The implications of this crisis extend beyond universities into
the national economy. Scholars agree that the quality of a nation’s higher
education system directly affects the competence of its labor force, its
scientific output, and its capacity to innovate in critical sectors such as
agriculture, public administration, cyber security, medicine, and engineering
(Mbah, 44). In this respect, the continued neglect of university education
constrains Nigeria’s long-term development potential and weakens its global
competitiveness. The urgency of reform is therefore both educational and
socio-economic, requiring policy commitment, improved financing structures, and
a reinvigoration of ethical responsibility toward the academic community.
Literature Review
Scholarly discourse consistently identifies the
Nigerian higher education sector as one undergoing prolonged decline caused
primarily by insufficient state investment, weak governance structures, and
policy inconsistency. Okebukola attributes these problems to decades of
underfunding, which have prevented universities from expanding infrastructural
and academic capacity despite rapidly growing student enrollment (Okebukola,
12). Similarly, Akinyemi, Ofem, and Ikuenomore report that the government’s
limited allocation regularly below 10 percent of the national budget has
resulted in inadequate facilities, overcrowded classrooms, and declining staff
morale (84).
Studies also show that declining government
investment has serious implications for research output. Ibidapo-Obe notes that
Nigerian lecturers often conduct research without access to well-equipped
laboratories, journals, or institutional grants, which reduces competitiveness
at global level and limits innovation (18). These persistent challenges reflect
a system weakened by economic pressures and policy neglect rather than lack of
intellectual capacity or human resources.
Empirical evidence demonstrates that poor
academic welfare is a core driver of declining productivity within Nigerian
universities. Yusuf asserts that stagnated salaries, lack of housing
allowances, and unstable wage payment schedules have deteriorated the standard
of living of lecturers, many of whom now take secondary employment to survive
financially (215). Secondary employment, while often necessary, reduces the
time available for academic writing, research supervision, and student
mentoring.
Odiaka further argues that these socio-economic
hardships have redefined academic labour in Nigeria, shifting the profession
from a respected intellectual vocation to a survival-driven occupation marked
by frustration, loss of prestige, and declining institutional loyalty (27).
This situation contributes to ‘brain drain,’ as young academics increasingly
migrate abroad where research funding, academic freedom, and welfare systems
are more assured (Sawahel, 4). The result is a cyclical decline in research productivity,
since universities lose experienced scholars and fail to attract new talent
capable of sustaining academic excellence.
The link between quality higher education and
national development is well-established in development theory. Mbah argues
that universities serve as knowledge engines capable of producing skilled
manpower, technological innovation, and administrative competence required for
modern governance and industrialization (44). Thus, when a nation’s academic
system declines, broader socio-economic development slows.
In Nigeria’s case, low funding and weak research
policy frameworks limit innovation in key areas such as medicine, agriculture,
engineering, and information technology. Enekwe, Nwoha, and Okwo report that
less than 3 percent of Nigerian university research results translate into
industrial application, demonstrating a structural disconnect between knowledge
production and national development (53). Therefore, revitalizing university
education is critical not only for academic sustainability but for economic
competitiveness in an increasingly knowledge-driven global economy.
Islamic scholarship provides a complementary
ethical dimension to the discussion of education and human development.
Al-Attas states that the concept of knowledge (ʿilm) in Islam is fundamentally linked to moral responsibility and
social transformation, meaning that societies are obligated to nurture
intellectual growth as part of fulfilling divine human purpose (101). The Qurʾān emphasizes the elevated status of knowledge, stating
that “Allah will raise those who believe and those given knowledge in high
ranks” (Qurʾān, 58:11). This directive positions education
not simply as a social service but as a religious trust (amānah) that leaders and communities must safeguard.
Furthermore, the Prophet Muḥammad asserted that seeking knowledge is obligatory upon every
Muslim, establishing learning as a universal and lifelong duty (Al-Bukhari,
123). Based on this perspective, the decline of Nigerian university education
represents not only a governance failure but a violation of Islamic principle
of justice (ʿadl), which requires fair distribution of resources and opportunities
across society (Hassan, 98). Thus, integrating Islamic ethics into educational
policy reform may provide Nigeria with a moral framework that reinforces
investment in intellectual development and national progress.
Although substantial research examines economic
decline in Nigerian universities, limited scholarship directly connects this
crisis with Islamic ethical principles and their potential to reshape national
educational priorities. Most literature focuses either on funding and
structural decay or on socio-economic implications for academic staff. This
study contributes to the discourse by bridging these perspectives demonstrating
how Islamic principles of justice, trust, and knowledge can provide both philosophical
grounding and cultural legitimacy for reform in Nigeria’s higher education
sector.
Methodology
This study adopts a qualitative descriptive
research design, which is suitable for exploring complex socio-economic and
institutional challenges affecting Nigerian lecturers within the higher
education system. A qualitative approach allows for the interpretation of
policy documents, scholarly literature, and empirical studies to construct a
comprehensive analysis of the systemic crisis in Nigerian universities
(Creswell, 54).
Data for the study were obtained through document
analysis of peer-reviewed journal articles, policy papers, Qurʾānic texts, and classical Islamic scholarly works. This method is
appropriate because it enables rigorous interrogation of existing knowledge
while identifying historical patterns and conceptual relationships in the
material (Bowen, 32). Sources included publications from the National
Universities Commission, UNESCO educational reports, and scholarly works on
educational decline, academic productivity, and Islamic perspectives on
knowledge and social responsibility.
The data analysis procedure employed
thematic content analysis, guided by three major constructs reflected in the
literature:
1. Structural
decline in university funding and policy failure,
2. Socio-economic
impacts on lecturers and academic productivity, and
3. Islamic
ethical frameworks relating to education, justice, and societal welfare.
Themes were identified, coded, and interpreted
based on recurring patterns and conceptual relevance. Integration of Islamic
perspectives occurred through textual analysis of the Qurʾān and Hadith, supplemented by educational writings such as
Al-Attas’s philosophical treatises on knowledge. This methodological approach
ensured that the study not only identified the contemporary state of Nigerian
universities but also situated the crisis within a broader moral and
intellectual framework.
Systemic Neglect of Nigerian University Academics: An
Islamic Ethical Analysis
The findings of this study reinforce existing
scholarship showing that the crisis in Nigerian higher education is rooted in
structural policy failure, inadequate funding, and weak leadership commitment
to research and academic development. While scholars such as Okebukola describe
the situation as the cumulative effect of decades of budgetary neglect and
unmanaged expansion (12), this study extends the conversation by integrating an
Islamic ethical dimension that exposes the moral implications of the crisis.
The study demonstrates that the deterioration of
lecturers’ welfare and working conditions has a direct causal relationship with
declining research productivity and academic morale. Yusuf’s analysis of wage
stagnation and poor welfare support (215) aligns with the broader literature
reviewed here, which shows that Nigerian academics now struggle to maintain the
basic conditions required for intellectual work. This work confirms that these
conditions not only hinder academic output but also erode the prestige
historically associated with scholarly careers. The resulting demoralization
and professional dissatisfaction contribute to continued brain drain, as
observed by Sawahel (4), weakening Nigeria’s capacity to retain and develop
future academic leaders.
A critical issue emerging from the
interpretation of findings is the institutional disconnect between research
production and national development. The work of Enekwe, Nwoha, and Okwo
indicates that less than 3 percent of Nigerian academic research contributes to
industrial application (53), demonstrating the absence of a functioning
innovation pipeline. This study interprets this gap as a structural failure
rather than a lack of intellectual capacity. Poor laboratory facilities,
minimal access to competitive grants, and inadequate digital academic resources
collectively prevent Nigerian universities from fulfilling their role as
engines of development.
The Islamic perspective incorporated into this
discussion introduces a value-based framework often missing from mainstream
policy debates. Islamic teachings position education not merely as a public
service but as a divine trust (amānah)
grounded in justice (ʿadl) and communal accountability. Al-Attas asserts that knowledge in
Islam is inseparable from moral responsibility (101), implying that the neglect
of educational welfare constitutes a breach of ethical principles. By examining
the educational decline through this dual analytical lens empirical and ethical
the study argues that enduring reform must involve not only financial
investment but also value reorientation.
Thus, the Nigerian university crisis should be
understood as both a governance issue and a violation of societal moral duty.
Without reimagining education as a strategic national priority and a
religiously grounded obligation, policy reforms may remain superficial,
reactive, and unsustainable.
Findings
The analysis shows that chronic underfunding is
the foundation of Nigeria’s higher education crisis. The education sector
continues to receive less than the UNESCO-recommended, 15–20 percent of
national budget allocations, leading to infrastructural decay, overcrowded
facilities, and inadequate research investment (UNESCO, 2021). This situation
directly undermines teaching quality and weakens universities’ ability to
contribute meaningfully to national development.
The study finds a consistent pattern across
literature indicating that Nigerian lecturers work under severe financial
strain due to wage stagnation, delayed salaries, and lack of institutional
welfare (Yusuf, 215). These conditions force many academics into secondary
employment to survive, significantly reducing time for research, publication,
and mentoring. The resulting decline in job satisfaction contributes to loss of
institutional loyalty and increased brain drain to foreign universities
(Sawahel, 3).
Evidence demonstrates that limited access to
research grants, laboratories, and international collaboration has diminished
the competitiveness of Nigerian scholarship. Less than 3 percent of research
findings in Nigerian universities are translated into industrial innovation or
national policy, indicating a widening gap between academic production and
national development needs (Enekwe, Nwoha, and Okwo, 53).
Islamic analysis reveals that the neglect of
education is inconsistent with the Qurʾānic and
Prophetic emphasis on knowledge as a divine responsibility. The Qurʾān elevates people of knowledge and places education at the heart
of human progress (Qurʾān, 58:11). Furthermore, the Islamic principle
of justice (ʿadl) requires equitable distribution of social welfare resources,
including education. Therefore, the current condition of Nigerian universities
represents both a governance failure and a departure from Islamic moral
expectations regarding knowledge and community development (Al-Attas, 101).
While various reforms, commissions, and policy
statements have been made, findings indicate poor implementation and lack of
moral accountability. Short-term government interventions have not translated
into structural transformation. The evidence suggests that without a
value-driven ethical foundation—such as that offered by Islamic educational
philosophy—policy reforms are unlikely to yield sustainable results.
Conclusion
This study set out to examine the socio-economic
challenges facing Nigerian university lecturers and the implications for higher
education, national development, and Islamic ethical principles. The findings
confirm that systemic underfunding, poor policy implementation, and
deteriorating welfare have severely constrained academic productivity and
reduced the status and functionality of the Nigerian university system. These
challenges contribute to infrastructural decay, declining research output, and
persistent brain drain, which collectively undermine Nigeria’s long-term
development prospects.
By integrating Islamic perspectives, the study
provides an additional interpretive framework showing that the crisis extends
beyond material deficiencies. Islamic teachings emphasize the centrality of
knowledge as a divine responsibility, and thus, neglecting higher education
represents a failure to uphold moral obligations associated with justice,
community development, and human advancement. The Qurʾānic and Prophetic emphasis on knowledge reinforces the argument
that educational reform in Nigeria must be grounded in values as well as
resources.
The study concludes that meaningful educational
revival requires a dual intervention:
1. Policy
and financial restructuring to
enhance funding, improve academic welfare, and strengthen research capacity.
2. Moral and
philosophical reorientation, drawing
from Islamic ethical principles that frame education as a trust to be protected
for collective benefit.
Only through this combined approach can Nigeria
reposition its universities as centers of research excellence, intellectual
leadership, and national development.
Recommendations
In view of the findings and discussion, several
policy-driven and ethically grounded recommendations are necessary to reverse
the decline in Nigerian higher education and realign the system with both
national development needs and Islamic educational values.
1. Increase Government Funding to Meet
International Benchmarks
Sustainable revitalization of Nigerian
universities requires a significant rise in financial commitment from the
federal and state governments. Current allocations fall well below UNESCO’s
recommended 15–20 percent of national expenditure. Meeting this benchmark would
enable modernization of classrooms, research laboratories, digital learning
facilities, and staff welfare systems. A change in national budgetary
priorities is required, involving legislation that guarantees a protected
minimum funding threshold for tertiary education. A constitutional amendment or
long-term policy framework could prevent future political fluctuations from
undermining financial stability.
2. Establish a National Research and Innovation
Fund
The gap between academic research and industrial
application stems partly from limited access to competitive research grants and
weak industry–university collaboration. A dedicated national research fund
independent of political administration should be established to support
pioneering inquiry, postgraduate supervision, and internationally relevant
scholarship. A centralized funding body, managed by experts rather than
political appointees, would ensure transparency, intellectual meritocracy, and
continuity. Collaboration with private sector stakeholders would also encourage
commercialization of university-generated knowledge.
3. Improve Lecturer Welfare, Remuneration, and
Career Development
Addressing the socio-economic hardship facing
lecturers is essential for restoring motivation, productivity, and
institutional loyalty. Competitive salaries, regular promotion cycles, medical
support, housing assistance, and pension security should form part of a
restructured welfare model. A national salary standard across
public universities could be established through the National Universities
Commission or an independent Education Compensation Regulatory Council. This
would reduce the inconsistencies that often trigger industrial disputes and
enhance recruitment and retention of high-caliber academics.
4. Promote Digital Infrastructure and Access to
Global Knowledge Resources
Modern universities thrive on digital
connectivity, access to online journals, remote learning platforms, and updated
academic databases. Nigerian universities must adopt strong ICT frameworks to
support research and teaching. Federal and state governments, in partnership
with telecommunications companies and development agencies, should invest in
broadband expansion, campus Wi-Fi networks, and subsidized access to digital
scholarly repositories such as JSTOR, Elsevier, and Google Scholar.
5. Institutionalize Accountability and
Transparent Governance
Decades of inconsistent implementation have
weakened the credibility of educational reforms. An effective revitalization
effort must include strong monitoring systems to ensure that budget allocations
are properly utilized and that academic leadership structures operate
transparently. Periodic performance audits should be mandatory for
universities, focusing on financial accountability, research output, staff
recruitment, and student development indicators. Public disclosure of audit
results would enhance trust and improve institutional efficiency.
6. Integrate Islamic Ethical Principles into
Educational Policy Direction
Islamic thought emphasizes that knowledge is a
moral trust (amānah) and that leadership is accountable for
ensuring equitable access to education. Embedding Islamic ethical values in
educational governance especially in Muslim-majority states can strengthen
public commitment to funding and protecting higher education. Educational
policy frameworks should incorporate explicit value-based directives
emphasizing justice (ʿadl),
community responsibility, and the religious duty to promote knowledge. This
could be implemented through revised curriculum content, ethical governance
codes, leadership training, and partnership with faith-based educational
organizations.
7. Strengthen University Industry Linkages
To ensure that research contributes directly to
national development, universities should maintain active partnerships with
industries, government agencies, and innovation hubs.
A national policy mandating industry representation in university research
committees and curriculum boards would align institutional output with labor
market needs. Tax incentives could be introduced to encourage private-sector
investment in university-based research.
In summary, the revival of Nigeria’s higher
education sector requires not only increased funding but also structural
reforms, ethical reorientation, and a strong policy environment that ensures
accountability, professional dignity, and effective knowledge production. With
coordinated implementation of these measures, Nigerian universities can regain
their role as engines of national development and centers of intellectual
excellence grounded in both modern and Islamic principles.
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