President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has exempted federal universities from obtaining recruitment waivers from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) before employing new staff.
Tinubu announced the development on Saturday during the maiden convocation ceremony of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Azare (FUHSA), Bauchi State.
The president, who was represented by the Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Sonny Echono, said the exemption was captured in the recently signed agreements with university staff unions.
According to him, the policy will empower the Federal Ministry of Education and university governing councils to make recruitment decisions and enable institutions to address their staffing needs more efficiently.
Tinubu explained that his administration was also working to improve personnel and payroll management in tertiary institutions by transitioning staff from the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) to the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS).
He said the initiative would promote transparency and accountability, enhance payroll efficiency, ensure timely and accurate salary payments, and accommodate the unique operational needs of universities.
The president added that the reforms were part of his administration’s broader efforts to strengthen institutional autonomy and create a conducive environment for teaching, research, innovation and effective service delivery.
He also reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to improving tertiary education through infrastructure development, research funding and better welfare for university personnel.
Speaking on support for FUHSA, Tinubu disclosed that the university had received an initial intervention of N8 billion through TETFund to support its establishment. He said the investment followed the COVID-19 pandemic, which exposed major gaps in Nigeria’s healthcare system.
He added that additional funding would be made available to the institution through TETFund’s regular and special intervention programmes, alongside allocations in the 2026 national budget for roads, lecture halls, laboratories and utility vehicles.
The president further disclosed that N10 billion had been provided for the National Research Fund in the 2026 budget. He urged universities, particularly specialised institutions such as FUHSA, to undertake research that would address Nigeria’s pressing healthcare challenges.
Established in 2021 under the administration of the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, FUHSA graduated about 50 students during its maiden convocation ceremony held on Saturday.
A recruitment waiver is an approval that a federal government institution may need to obtain from the OHCSF before employing new personnel. The requirement has often affected the speed at which federal universities fill vacant positions, replace retiring workers and recruit additional academic and non-academic staff.