Tinubu scraps recruitment waiver for federal universities, strengthens autonomy
President Bola Tinubu has removed 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 major policy shift aimed at…
For years, Nigerian universities and their unions, notably ASUU, have complained that federal control mechanisms such as the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) and the requirement to secure staff recruitment waivers from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation undermined institutional autonomy. Critics argued these centralised systems, originally introduced to curb payroll fraud and ghost workers across federal agencies, were ill-suited to universities' peculiar staffing needs, including the hiring of academics with specialised qualifications, and caused lengthy delays in filling vacant teaching and research positions.
The latest policy shift, announced by President Bola Tinubu, removes federal universities from this waiver requirement and reportedly also affects their IPPIS status, shifting recruitment oversight to the Federal Ministry of Education and university governing councils. Both Vanguard and Tribune Online report the announcement, with Tribune carrying more of Tinubu's own explanation for the decision, while details on implementation timelines, how payroll administration will now be handled, and reactions from unions and university management have yet to be reported.