Learning is quite interesting, but do you know what is more exciting to do? Lecturing is! There is no greater feeling than imparting your knowledge and understanding to other students who are willing to learn and rise to the top also. However, not everyone finds teaching interesting, and for this reason, might not enjoy it.
Truth be told, becoming a teacher or lecturer in Nigeria is not so encouraging in the financial aspect, but most lecturers still do it for the love and passion they have for it. If you are also interested in becoming a lecturer in Nigeria, you must develop a passion for it first so you don’t get heavily discouraged along the way.
For most undergraduates who dream to be lecturers one day, the only thing stopping them is a lack of knowledge of the procedure to go about it. Many of us believe the process of becoming a lecturer in Nigeria is quite complicated, but it isn’t. All you have to do is know how it works and start the procedure immediately.
As a result, this article will show you the complete guide on how to become a lecturer in Nigeria. I clearly understand that you will want to know how the whole process works, its requirements, as well as how much it would cost you to go about it and I will mention all of that in this piece. Without wasting much time, let’s see how to become a lecturer in Nigeria.
Who is a Lecturer?
Many of us just have the ambition of being a lecturer without fully understanding who a lecturer is and how a lecturing career works. A lecturer is quite different from a regular primary or secondary school teacher, of course, it takes more qualification to become the former than it is for the latter.
Lecturers plan and deliver teachings on their specialist subjects to university students. As a lecturer, it is your job to prepare teaching materials and give lectures to students at the right time. Lecturers are also found in polytechnics, colleges of education, and other tertiary institutions.
How can I become a lecturer in Nigeria?
Before you can be a lecturer at any tertiary institution in Nigeria, or even anywhere around the world, there is a procedure you must follow on your journey. You mustn’t miss even one of these steps so it does not affect your career in the long run. Let’s see how one can become a lecturer in Nigeria.
Acquire the necessary Qualifications
The first step to being a lecturer is to acquire the required educational qualifications. Before you can work as a lecturer in any tertiary institution in Nigeria, you must have graduated with at least a Second Class Upper degree related to the field you want to work in. However, having a Bachelor’s degree is not enough for you to become a lecturer.
Many universities and polytechnics in Nigeria require lecturers to possess at least a Master’s degree in a program relevant to their field. Although, a Master’s degree alone will not make you a lecturer immediately. There is a ladder you must climb along the way for you to become a lecturer even after your employment in a tertiary institution.
With a Master’s degree, you will be able to work as an Assistant lecturer in most universities in Nigeria. However, to become a full lecturer, you must have completed your doctorate program. You can’t find any lecturer in Nigerian universities who has not completed a doctorate program unless they are still working as assistant lecturers.
Go for an Internship to boost your Skills
Experience is important in almost everything and lecturing is not excluded. To better your chances of being recruited as a lecturer in any Nigerian university, you should do well to go for Internship programs to boost your experience and strengthen your portfolio. This way, you’d have better chances of being recruited.
Also, while you are taking on internship programs, you should keep your ears out for research projects and ensure you complete them on time. Most of the lecturers in Nigerian universities have participated in countless research projects and have also made hundreds of publications related to their discipline.
Prepare your Resumé
No one would employ you if they have no references to learn about you. This is where your resume is important and why you should prepare and ensure it is always updated. Your resume will include your qualifications as well as your achievements, experiences, awards, citations, and other things that may boost your recruitment chances.
The mistake most people make is that they forget to update their resumes when necessary. As soon as there is a new development in your qualification, make it a priority to include it in your resume so your potential employer will find you and probably recruit you.
Apply for a Lecturing Job
Once you are sure you possess all the qualifications required to become a lecturer at a specific university, you can proceed to apply. Usually, lecturers apply for these positions on recruitment platforms like LinkedIn, Pinterest, etc If you can find a job opening that suits you, then you should go for it immediately.
Sometimes, lecturers get their job based on connections. There are usually limited slots and the best candidates win them. You will find these openings on government portals and of course, some private portals like those of private universities. Ensure your CV is up to date to improve your chances of getting the lecturing job.
Improve your Skills
Even after getting a job as a lecturer, you must never stop learning and trying to sharpen your skills. If you don’t learn to stay updated, you will become old-fashioned and outdated even if you are good at what you do. Every day, there are new approaches to teaching and making yourself a better lecturer, you should adopt these and wait to start seeing positive results.
In addition, it is important to engage in several research projects while you work as a lecturer at any university. As a lecturer in a Nigerian university, your promotion will depend on the research work you have participated in and your teaching experience. Lecturers are usually promoted to Associate Professors, and then Professors.
How much do lecturers make in Nigeria?
Lecturers earn an average of N200,000 monthly in Nigeria and up to N2,500,000 every year. However, a Professor can make as much as N500,000 monthly and up to N6,000,000 per year. Truth be told, these figures are not so encouraging for individuals who spend so much time imparting knowledge to students. This is where your passion and zeal are highly required for the job.
Wrapping Up: How To Become a Lecturer in Nigeria
From this article, we can conclude that becoming a lecturer in Nigeria is not that easy but perseverance is quite important to get there. Even after many years of studying, it might take a while before you get a job as a lecturer in Nigeria. Thankfully, there are better alternatives for you to explore.
Instead of waiting so long for employment as a lecturer in Nigeria after possessing all that it takes, you can go abroad and pursue a career there. Lecturing in European countries is more lucrative than it is in Nigeria and you will always be encouraged to do more.