President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has exempted federal universities from the requirement to obtain recruitment waivers from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF), in a move aimed at strengthening institutional autonomy.
Gatekeepers News reports that Tinubu announced the decision on Saturday at the maiden convocation ceremony of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Azare (FUHSA), in Bauchi State.
The president, who was represented by Sonny Echono, Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), said the exemption was documented in recent agreements signed with university staff unions.
He said the measure would empower the Federal Ministry of Education and university governing councils to make recruitment decisions based on their institutions’ staffing needs.
“This measure empowers the federal ministry of education and university Governing Councils to discharge their respective responsibilities in staff recruitment, enabling institutions to respond more effectively to their legitimate manpower needs,” he said.
The recruitment waiver requirement previously meant that federal universities could be required to secure approval from the OHCSF before employing new personnel. The exemption is expected to give the institutions greater flexibility in filling vacancies and recruiting academic and non-academic staff.
Tinubu also disclosed that the Federal Government was working to migrate staff of tertiary institutions from the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) to the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS).
According to him, the transition is intended to improve payroll efficiency, strengthen transparency and accountability, ensure timely and accurate salary payments, and accommodate the operational needs of tertiary institutions.
The president said the reforms formed part of his administration’s broader efforts to strengthen institutional autonomy and create an enabling environment for teaching, research, innovation and service delivery.
On funding, Tinubu said the Federal Government had provided FUHSA with an initial N8 billion intervention through TETFund to support the institution’s establishment.
He explained that the investment followed the COVID-19 pandemic, which exposed critical gaps in Nigeria’s healthcare system and highlighted the need to strengthen medical education and healthcare delivery.
He added that further funding would be channelled to the university through TETFund’s regular and special interventions, alongside allocations in the 2026 national budget for roads, lecture halls, laboratories and utility vehicles.
Tinubu also announced that N10 billion had been provided for the National Research Fund in 2026, urging universities, particularly specialised institutions such as FUHSA, to pursue research addressing the country’s pressing health challenges.
The Federal University of Health Sciences, Azare, was established in 2021 under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari. About 50 students graduated during its maiden convocation ceremony.
