Nigerian man who worked as lecturer in foreign university shows his salary, amount grabs attention
A Nigerian academic who previously worked as a lecturer abroad has shared details about his monthly earnings while reflecting on his experience teaching outside the country.
The man, identified as Dozie Francis Okpaleke, made the disclosure in a post on his social media page while advising Nigerians on ways to improve their lives and career opportunities.
According to him, if he had remained in Nigeria as an associate professor or senior lecturer, his salary would not exceed a certain amount. He argued that many lecturers in Nigerian universities currently earn less than $500 monthly.
Okpaleke also shared insights about his time working abroad, revealing the salary range he received and the number of courses he handled during the period.
He said …
“There is NOTHING as painful as knowing you can be better than your current situation, but you’re limited by country/geography.
“I know for a fact that if I were in Nigeria today, my salary as a Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor would not be up to 500,000 naira. That is less than £250 or less than $400. If I hadn’t Japa years ago, it would *pain* me to know that I could earn better for the same position and have access to several research and travel grants that could earn me more than $7,000/month (this is even higher depending on the top ‘A’ country in question). It would hurt me to know that my monthly salary could not even buy a flight ticket to the USA, UK, or Canada, let alone Australia or New Zealand.
“Nothing hurts more than living life below your full potential. I am not saying Japa alone will solve all problems, but I can tell you for a fact that Japa done right can be a game changer. No Professor earns $500/month. When I was a University Tutor, my monthly take was nearly $2,000 (N2,771,688.92) per month (I tutored about 3 courses).
“Why am I saying all this? You can be more. Even if you decide not to Japa and commit to your home country, tap into the endless resources available on a global scale. Apply for sabbaticals. Attend international conferences. Apply for internships. At the minimum, apply for travel grants. Write proposals. Get a remote gig that pays in USD. Do something. Don’t live your life in Naira when there is dollar.
Be more and don’t live average. If you succeed in moving abroad, I don’t care how sweet the place is or how long your visa is, only one thing MUST be on your mind: Permanent Residency. It is a journey, but that is what allows you to settle fully abroad to a large extent.”