Ondo State-owned Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), has announced automatic employment for 32 outstanding graduates as part of efforts to empower young academics and curb the growing brain drain in Nigeria’s higher education sector.
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Olugbenga Ige, disclosed the initiative at a briefing ahead of the university’s 14th convocation, explaining that all beneficiaries who are first-class graduates would be offered appointments as Graduate Fellows or Graduate Assistants, provided they return after completing their National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) program.
“We have a policy on campus that first-class graduates are appointed as Graduate Fellows or Graduate Assistants. We normally give them employment if they are interested in coming back after their NYSC,” he said.
Prof. Ige highlighted the challenge of the ‘Japa syndrome,’ noting that many Nigerian lecturers leave the country due to low remuneration. “A PhD holder in Nigeria as Lecturer II or Lecturer I earns a maximum of about N250,000 monthly. But abroad, that same person receives nothing less than N5 million,” he said.
The Vice Chancellor added that the graduating students, 5,799 in total, had been equipped with essential academic and entrepreneurial skills to contribute meaningfully to national and global development. He gave a breakdown of the graduates: 5,251 undergraduates, 526 postgraduates, and 22 diploma holders. Academic distinctions included 32 First Class, 1,444 Second Class Upper, 3,177 Second Class Lower, 582 Third Class, and 16 Pass.
While celebrating the achievement of the graduates, Prof. Ige decried inadequate funding at AAUA, stating that insufficient subvention has contributed to academic strikes and fueled the exodus of university personnel. He emphasized that proper funding is critical to strengthening universities and aligning them with global standards.
By offering guaranteed job opportunities to high-achieving graduates, AAUA aims to retain talent, empower young academics, and demonstrate a commitment to building a skilled, motivated workforce capable of advancing Nigeria’s educational and research sectors.
