Trajectory of brain-drain and quality of work-life amongst Nigeria’s university lecturers: academic staff union of universities (ASUU) incessant strike in retrospect

Abstract

PurposeBrain-drain insurgency has become pervasive amongst professionals and the last option for everyone in the country to realise a sustainable quality of work-life (QWL). All youths now in the country have perceived migrating to the international workspace as a noble idea. This study investigates the incidence of brain-drain and QWL amongst academics in Nigerian universities.Design/methodology/approachTo sparkle a clearer understanding concerning factors preventing the QWL amongst Nigeria's lecturers, this study utilised a cross-sectional research design to survey the participants across all departments in federal institutions through an explanatory research approach. This study applied an array of adapted scales to evaluate members of academic staff track of what provoked the incidence of brain-drain amongst Nigerian lecturers and possible influence on their QWL. The study surveyed 431 members of academic staff in Nigerian universities to collect useful data and employed a structural equation model (SEM) to analyse the obtained data.FindingsThe outcome of this study highlights that there is a horrible condition of service amongst Nigerian lecturers, a poor compensation system, poor academic research funding and lack of autonomy are bane to the QWL experienced in Nigerian tertiary institutions today. This study indicates that poor staff development and inadequate university funding are part of the justification that provoked brain-drain insurgence, and allowed the government to lose their skilled and competent egg-heads in the university to other foreign nations of the world.Originality/valueThis study demonstrated that brain-drain has become part of Nigeria's national life given that all professionals are seeking better life where their skills, competence and energy would be valued. Brain-drain was not common until these days amongst academics and fewer studies were noted but this study showed a novel paradigm regarding the QWL and brain-drain trajectory.

Workaholism and quality of work-life: a psychosocial pathway to brain-drain syndrome

“…It further clarifies that the experience of contentment in the work domain of an individual will transmit to other areas of the life of that person. An illustration in support of this is that satisfaction with an employee's work environment and job demand will foster contentment in other areas of life such as finances, health, social and family life (Akinwale et al ., 2023). Crossover and spillover emphasise that feelings of either positive or negative effect will reflect in all other functional areas of the life of the individual which has a greater impact on the QWL.…”

“…Inadequate and poor quality of work-life (QWL) has been a plaque among Nigeria's banking workforce recently. It has become a recurrent issue among Nigeria's banking employees in such a way that it has sent the majority of them away from the country to another promising work environment (Akinwale et al ., 2023). The consequence of this is that it does not ordinarily affect Nigerian employees as individual but largely affect the nation as a whole provoking poor productive work behaviour, low income and high inflationary trend.…”

Brain drain incidence and health-care infrastructural deficit challenges: the role of capacity development among “JAPA” physicians in Nigeria

“…However, this has been the case in African continents for over a decade and Nigeria's version has been exceptional to such an extent that they coined a peculiar concept called “JAPA theory”. The meaning of this is that whenever you are able to embark on organised migration outside the confinement of Nigeria to another safe nation, never intend to return to Nigeria for life (Akinwale et al , 2023). Therefore, the brain drain of physicians in Nigeria is connected to the issues and challenges posed by the nation’s deficient health-care infrastructural burden.…”