FG backtracks on recruitment waivers for varsities, clarifies approval process

FG backtracks on recruitment waivers for varsities, clarifies approval process

The Federal Government has clarified that federal tertiary
institutions must continue to obtain recruitment waivers before employing
additional personnel, amid confusion triggered by a presidential
representative’s recent announcement at a university convocation.

 

The Federal Ministry of Education, in a statement issued by
its Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade, on Monday, said
the recruitment waiver process remained in force, contrary to impressions
created by remarks delivered on behalf of President Bola Tinubu at the maiden
convocation of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Azare, on October 17,
2026.

 

The clarification effectively draws a distinction between
the approval of staff establishments and the authorisation to recruit,
insisting that neither process has been scrapped.

 

According to the ministry, the Office of the Head of the
Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) retains the responsibility for
approving establishment waivers, determining authorised staff strength and
assessing manpower requirements across federal institutions.

 

However, requests by tertiary institutions to recruit beyond
their approved establishments are considered by a separate committee chaired by
the Minister of Education.

 

The ministry explained that the committee evaluates
institutions’ staffing needs against their approved establishments before
determining whether additional recruitment is justified.

 

The OHCSF is also represented on the committee, ensuring
that recruitment requests are assessed in line with approved manpower
structures and existing procedures.

 

It said the arrangement, which has operated over the past
few years, was designed to promote institutional efficiency and autonomy
without abandoning established controls over public-sector recruitment.

 

“All requests must continue to comply strictly with the
established approval process,” the ministry stressed.

 

The clarification comes after the presidential
representative’s remarks at the Azare convocation generated the impression that
federal tertiary institutions had been freed from the requirement to obtain
recruitment waivers through the existing framework.

 

Reaffirming its commitment to transparency, due process and
accountability, the ministry said the continued application of the protocol was
consistent with the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI) and
Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

 

The statement did not indicate any new policy change, but
stressed that the existing arrangements governing recruitment approvals in
federal tertiary institutions remained operational.

Source: FG backtracks on recruitment waivers for varsities, clarifies approval process



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