The recent sentencing of 16-year-old Joy Afekate to life imprisonment for the murder of Dr Funmilayo Sherifat Adefolalu, a lecturer at the Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna, has reignited concerns over the safety and welfare of Nigerian lecturers, especially those living off campus without any form of institutional protection.
Dr Adefolalu was killed on October 28, 2023, at her residence in Gbaiko, Minna. The teenager, who had worked briefly as her domestic help before being dismissed for theft, returned with two accomplices—still at large—and attacked the lecturer. She was stabbed multiple times and struck with a stool before the assailants fled with valuables including phones, a laptop and foreign currency.
The incident, though shocking, is not an isolated one.
In July 2023, a lecturer at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, was killed by his houseboy following a dispute at his residence in Ifite village. That same month, another female lecturer at the same institution was murdered in her home in Anambra State by a domestic worker who turned violent during an argument.
In September 2020, a lecturer at the University of Calabar was abducted with the help of a domestic staff member working on his farm. In another case in 2020, Dr David Ugwu, also of the University of Calabar, was kidnapped from his home in the Atimbo area while watering his garden. Gunmen reportedly fired shots to disperse residents before whisking him away.
Earlier in 2016, gunmen stormed the staff quarters of the University of Calabar and abducted Dr Wilfred Ndifon, his wife and daughter. They were later released after a ransom was reportedly paid.
These repeated attacks reflect a worrying pattern of insecurity targeting lecturers, particularly those living outside university campuses without institutional safety nets.
Academic unions and education stakeholders have long called for safe staff accommodation within campuses. During a protest at Nasarawa State University, Keffi, the National President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof Emmanuel Osodeke, decried the rising spate of kidnappings and attacks on lecturers and students across the country. He urged university authorities and state governments to prioritise staff housing and security.
“Providing safe and adequate housing for staff is no longer a luxury. It is a critical step toward protecting those who dedicate their lives to building the country’s intellectual foundation,” he said.
Available data shows how widespread the problem is.
At the University of Ibadan (UI), there are 1,212 housing units available for over 5,300 staff members, accommodating just over 20 percent of its workforce. At Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile Ife, there are 732 staff houses, yet the demand far exceeds supply. Between 2011 and 2014, senior staff needed an average of 492 units annually, but only 23 were available each year. For junior staff, only two units were provided yearly despite a demand for over 130.
At Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu Alike Ikwo (AE FUNAI), ASUU Chairman Dr Louis Omenyi said the lack of on-campus accommodation forces lecturers to commute long distances daily. “Some spend a large part of their salary on transportation while also putting their lives at risk,” he said.
As insecurity continues to rise nationwide, the call for adequate and safe staff housing has taken on new urgency. Lecturers, often targeted in their homes, are among the most vulnerable members of the education sector. Without adequate security and shelter, their personal safety and professional productivity remain at risk.
Ensuring their safety is no longer just a welfare issue—it is a national imperative and an investment in the future of education in Nigeria.
