- President Tinubu announced the exemption of federal universities from recruitment waivers at a convocation ceremony in Bauchi State on Saturday, October 17
- The reform hands recruitment authority directly to the Federal Ministry of Education and university governing councils
- Tinubu also disclosed plans to migrate tertiary institution staff from IPPIS to a new payroll management system
President Bola Tinubu has freed federal universities from the obligation to obtain recruitment waivers from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF), saying the change was captured in recent agreements signed with university staff unions.
Tinubu made the announcement on Saturday, October 17, at the maiden convocation of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Azare (FUHSA) in Bauchi State. He was represented at the event by Sonny Echono, Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).
Source: Twitter
The Cable reported that under the new arrangement, the Federal Ministry of Education and university governing councils will take charge of hiring decisions without seeking prior clearance from the OHCSF, a move the president described as a necessary step towards greater institutional autonomy.
Payroll reform for tertiary institutions
Tinubu also said his administration is working to move staff of tertiary institutions from the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) to the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS). He said the migration is intended to improve payroll efficiency, boost transparency, ensure salaries are paid on time, and better reflect the unique operating conditions of universities and similar institutions.
The president also used the occasion to speak on the government's financial commitments to FUHSA specifically. He said TETFund has already released an initial N8 billion to support the establishment of the university, which was set up partly in response to gaps in Nigeria's healthcare infrastructure exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Additional funding, he said, will come through TETFund's regular and special intervention windows, as well as allocations in the 2026 national budget covering roads, lecture halls, laboratories and utility vehicles.
N10bn set aside for research
On research, Tinubu said the federal government has committed N10 billion to the national research fund in 2026. He urged universities and specialised institutions like FUHSA in particular to direct their research activities towards solving Nigeria's most critical health challenges.
The president reaffirmed the administration's broader commitment to strengthening tertiary education through infrastructure investment, research funding and improved welfare conditions for university workers.
Source: Twitter
Nigerian student threatens varsity with lawsuit
Legit.ng earlier reported that Achievers University, Owo, Ondo state, has been threatened with a N500 million legal suit by a 200-level law student identified as Akinlolu Richard Omisade.
The student, through his lawyer, Abdulfatai Abdulsalam, said he discovered that the university has not forwarded his name to JAMB for proper processing.
Abdulsalam then informed regulatory bodies such as the Council of Legal Education (CLE) and the National Universities Commission (NUC), about the development.
Source: Legit.ng