How to Become a Lecturer in Nigeria (Step-to-Step Guide)

Do you wish to become a lecturer in Nigeria? If you do, you are in the right place. This article would provide you with all the necessary steps you need to become a lecturer in Nigeria.

But before we go through these steps, you should know whether becoming a lecturer is right for you. To achieve this, I will take you through some headings to help you know or decide if being a lecturer is right for you.

Who is a Lecturer?

 A lecturer is someone who is employed to give lectures within a specialized field at any tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

A lecturer is therefore employed by any tertiary institution or higher education establishment to perform the role of teaching, research, and administration within a specialized subject area.

Duties of a Lecturer

A lecturer can perform any of the below duties in any tertiary institution he or she may be offering services to.

1.     Lecture students within a specialized area

2.     Preparation of lecture notes

3.     Recommending information resources to help equip students intellectually

4.     Lecturing students within a specialized area

5.     Assessing and grading students’ work

6.     Invigilating tests and exams

7.     Attending the staff meeting

8.     Conducting research within a specialized area.

9.     Supporting students to achieve their research goals.

10.  Assessing and supervising Ph.D. students

11.   Perusing through academic journals and other educational contents

12.   Writing research proposals, papers, journals, and other publication

13.   Attending, supporting, and speaking at seminars and conferences

14.   Preparing a budget for the financing of certain projects within a department or faculty.

15.  Performing administrative duties.

Do you have what it takes to become a Lecturer in Nigeria?

To become a lecturer in Nigeria, they are certain key attributes you must possess. I am making you aware of this in order to ease your journey in becoming a lecturer. This is because these core attributes are mostly the skill requirements that higher education establishments in Nigeria watch out for.

Some of these skills include;

1.     Good Grades:

If you want to become a lecturer in Nigeria, you must have good grades. Lecturers are the major giver of knowledge within a knowledge hub. What does this mean? They are required to be brilliant academically. This is necessary to bring a proven ability to their duty.  

The quality of lecturers any higher education establishment has would in no doubt influence the university quality and ranking. For any higher education establishment to gain prominence and maintain that prominence, they need the best of the best human resources.

This means that it will be easier for a first-class graduate to become a lecturer than for a second class upper graduate.

2.     Must be clearly Brilliant Academically:

No doubt about this, you must be highly intelligent in order to choose a career as a lecturer in Nigeria.

Lecturing in any tertiary institution is far different from working in a company. Lecturers are daily faced with academic challenges.

Their duties are majorly academic in nature. They deal with complex academic tasks ranging from the undergraduate level even to the highest form of education (Ph.D.).

Clearly, one who is not intelligent will break at some point or become very lazy.

3.     Passion for Teaching and Research:

There are so many students out there with a lack of zeal for study. Some are only in school because it is the trend.

For those who wish to become a lecturer in Nigeria, there must be high motivation for academics.

If you don’t enjoy writing project work, doing assignments, reading journals and textbooks, etc. then I am afraid to say that lecturing is not for you.

There must be a passion for the disturbing task that comes with academics. This is because that’s the duties of a lecturer.

4.     Excellent Presentation Skill:

Tertiary institutions are looking for graduates who are bold and smart especially when it comes to sharing what they know.

The ability to present excellently would make you a valuable asset to tertiary institutions. This is because it is almost impossible to deliver an excellent presentation without knowing anything about the subject you are presenting.

If you are good at delivering an excellent presentation, then the lecturing job might just be for you.

5.     Good Communication skill:

No tertiary institution in Nigeria would employ people with bad communication skills.

Requirements to become a Lecturer in Nigeria

We will provide you with step to step guide to help you become a lecturer in Nigeria;

1.     Undertake an Undergraduate Program:

This is the first step in becoming a lecturer in Nigeria. Your first degree would usually determine which area or field you would be become a lecturer in.

It is therefore relevant to take up an undergraduate program in an area that you are very comfortable with or an area you have a passion for, in Nigeria.

2.     Aim for a First Class or Good grade:

Like I said above, all the tertiary institutions in Nigeria needs those as lecturers who can reflect a high level of intelligence.

Your grades most times would be used to measure or judge your degree of commitment to your area of specialization.

There are cases where the university or any tertiary institutions would retain their first-class graduates for lecturing positions. When this happens, the journey becomes easier.

So if you must become a lecturer in Nigeria, you need to have a 2.1 or a first-class.

3.     Earn a Master’s Degree:

A master’s degree is the minimum requirement to become a lecturer in Nigeria. If you must become a lecturer, you need to earn a master’s degree with very good grades.

There are cases where one is allowed to skip the master’s degree and immediately proceed to do their Ph.D. Though, this is not entirely advisable. 

4.     Check the Requirements:

Every tertiary institution in Nigeria has a stated requirement for those interested in the position of a lecturer.

For instance, some tertiary institutions require one to have a teaching or education qualification that reflects one qualification to disperse knowledge effectively

There may be little differences in their requirements; however, if you have made good grades in your first and second degree, you shouldn’t be far from the standard.

5.     Apply for a Lecturing Job in any Tertiary Institution in Nigeria:

After you have earned your master’s degree, there is no need of wasting much time; you need to start applying to various tertiary institutions.

There are various ways to achieve this. Firstly, you can gain inquiries from the lecturers in the school you have earned your degree from. If you were a diligent student, I am very sure that they will guide you.

Secondly, you would need to navigate through various universities’ website if there are any vacancies for the position of a lecturer.

6.     Acquire a Doctorate Degree:

You won’t make much progress as a lecturer in Nigeria without a doctorate degree. Therefore, those with a doctoral degree or Ph.D. will be deemed relevant to deliver the quality service that the tertiary institution requires.

A Ph.D. degree will therefore boost your chances of becoming a lecturer in Nigeria. You should note that it is possible to become a lecturer in Nigeria with just a master’s degree. 

Conclusion

The above is the step to step guide you need to become a lecturer in Nigeria. If you follow these steps diligently, your chances of becoming a lecturer in Nigeria would be very high.

Remember, your commitment and diligence to your academics is the primary or principal factor to becoming a lecturer in Nigeria.