Don Advises Lecturers To Embrace Entrepreneurship

A don at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Prof Sulaiman Abdullahi Karwai, has urged university lecturers to embrace entrepreneurship as a survival strategy amid poor remuneration and rising inflation.

Karwai, of the Department of Business Administration, made the call while delivering a paper at a public lecture organised by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Sa’adu Zungur University (SAZU) branch, at the Yuli campus of the institution.

He lamented that Nigerian lecturers are among the worst paid globally, stressing that reliance on salaries alone can no longer sustain academic staff in the face of mounting economic pressures.

He lamented that many professors, even after decades of service, struggle to meet basic needs, noting that most professors cannot afford to build their own houses despite spending up to 35 years in service due to meagre earnings worsened by inflation.

“Entrepreneurial engagement is no longer optional but necessary for lecturers who must secure their livelihoods beyond monthly salaries,” he said.

Karwai, however, cautioned academics against allowing side ventures to interfere with their primary responsibilities, urging them to remain committed to teaching, research and community service.

He also criticised the over N2 trillion allocation to the education sector in the proposed 2026 national budget, describing it as inadequate to address the country’s deep-rooted educational challenges.

In his remarks, the chairperson of ASUU-SAZU, Comrade Auwal Hussain Nuhu, commended the union’s national leadership for its continued support to the branch in achieving its objectives.

Nuhu urged participants to apply the knowledge gained from the lecture to improve their socio-economic conditions, while reiterating the union’s commitment to staff welfare and academic excellence.