When Doing Good is Survival: Reflections from a Nigerian Faculty Member

By emmannaemeka @ 2025-09-09T19:53 (+12)

Effective Altruism begins with a big question:

“How can I use my time, career, and resources to do the most good?”

For many in the EA community, this is a question of optimization—choosing among several good options to maximize impact. In Nigeria, where I work as a university faculty member, the situation feels different. Here, doing good is not just optimization—it is often survival.

Academia here is rewarding but extremely tough. Salaries are low, resources are scarce, and expectations are high. Yet in the middle of these challenges, the classroom becomes a frontline where the fight for impact, dignity, and hope takes place.

Teaching in a Context of Scarcity

My university is located about 80 km from Jos, the capital of Plateau State. Most of my students come from surrounding rural communities, bringing with them a wide range of academic preparation. Some arrive with strong backgrounds; others struggle.

Every one of them must complete a research project before graduating. More importantly, every one of them must be inspired to become better and to do good with the skills and knowledge they gain.

One of my proudest moments was when a student reported the first occurrence of Phytophthora infestans 33_A2 in Nigeria during her undergraduate research. She is now a faculty member in my department—a reminder that when students succeed, their achievements ripple far beyond the classroom.

Research Under Pressure: Student Projects

Even under these conditions, some of my students are pursuing ambitious, high-impact research:
 

• Chidinma is isolating phages against multi-drug-resistant Pseudomonas and formulating a hydrogel for wound healing. This is the first attempt of its kind in Nigeria. It is both exciting and frightening—exciting for its potential impact on antimicrobial resistance, frightening because we are attempting it with almost no resources.
• David, who joined me from Cameroon, is working on breast cancer, an urgent and growing problem in Nigeria. In collaboration with Professor Roderick at the University of Waterloo, we have developed a tripeptide HER2 phage-based vaccine for evaluation in mice. If successful, this would be the first step toward phage-based vaccine innovation in Nigeria. Yet we are stalled, lacking even basic consumables. Breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related death among women in Nigeria, accounting for nearly one-fifth of all cancer deaths, with over 16,000 women dying each year.
• The Fish Phage Project (PhageGuard Aqua) is tackling antimicrobial resistance in aquaculture. Catfish farming is vital for food security and livelihoods in Nigeria, but bacterial infections cause major losses. Antibiotics are commonly misused, driving resistance. We are isolating phages that can target resistant bacteria in catfish, with the goal of developing a sustainable phage-based therapy. If successful, this would not only improve rural incomes but also reduce AMR risks at the human-animal-environment interface.

These projects illustrate the paradox of my context: incredible student potential colliding with structural barriers that make progress painfully slow.

Success Stories: The Multiplier Effect

Despite the odds, I have seen my students go on to remarkable achievements. Three of the students I supervised during their undergraduate projects are now faculty members themselves, teaching and training the next generation. Others are working in research institutes, contributing to scientific discovery, while some have transitioned into business, applying their skills to solve problems in new ways.

Each success story reinforces my conviction that investing in students creates a ripple effect far beyond what one person could achieve alone. Their impact multiplies mine.

The Burden on Faculty

On paper, faculty in Nigeria are expected to teach, mentor, generate preliminary research results, publish in reputable journals, and compete internationally.

In reality, the average lecturer earns only $200–$400 USD per month—barely enough to survive, let alone support research. With this little salary, we are still expected to shoulder the cost of consumables, maintain research activity, and produce outputs that match global standards.

For many, doing good under these conditions requires sacrifice: taking on extra jobs to make ends meet, self-funding student projects, or quietly abandoning promising ideas. The system runs on the resilience of those who refuse to give up.

Why It Still Matters

For me, doing good in this context means multiplying my impact through students. Every young person who learns to think more critically, to do science more rigorously, and to engage with their community creates a ripple effect.

Some of them will become faculty. Some will enter industry. Some will pioneer solutions to local problems. All of them will carry with them a piece of the effort invested in them.

This multiplier effect is what keeps me going, even when the structural barriers feel overwhelming.
 

What I Hope to Build

There are two things I dream of building, which could greatly expand this multiplier effect:

1. An EA Student Group – I have long wanted to create a space where students and faculty can think systematically about how to do the most good with their skills and careers. My hesitation has been shaped by poor experiences applying for EA Funds support—after repeated rejections, I became wary of trying again. Yet I remain convinced that such a group could transform the way young scientists in Nigeria view their potential for impact. If anyone is interested in helping me establish this, I am more than happy to talk.
2. A Modest Research & Training Lab – A dedicated space where students can gain hands-on training in basic scientific methods, learn to design and execute meaningful projects, and apply their knowledge to pressing local and global challenges. Even modest support here would catalyze a culture of rigorous science and increase the pipeline of skilled researchers.
3. A Student Mentorship Program – Beyond training in technical skills, I want to mentor high-impact students to lead high-impact community projects and research-for-impact initiatives. This would help them not only become better scientists but also agents of change in their communities, applying EA principles to real-world challenges.

These interventions would transform survival into strategy. They would not only help students graduate but also equip them to live out EA’s vision of multiplying impact.

Why Share This Here?

The obstacles are real, but so are the opportunities.
 

👉 If you’ve tried EA community-building in resource-constrained settings, I’d love to hear your lessons.

👉 If you know mentorship networks, consumables support, or small-scale funding pathways, I’d be grateful for your guidance.

Doing good better, in my world, means helping students survive, thrive, and multiply their impact.

📩 You can reach me directly at eennadi@plasu.edu.ng. I will be glad to work with any group interested in building capacity, supporting students, or advancing research that matters.