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 easing staffing bottlenecks and strengthening institutional autonomy.
The reform, which allows universities to respond more
directly to their manpower needs, was disclosed by the President at the maiden
convocation ceremony of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Azare,
FUHSA, Bauchi State, on Saturday, where 50 pioneer graduates received their
degrees.
Tinubu, who is the visitor to all federal universities, was
represented at the ceremony by the Executive Secretary of the Tertiary
Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Arc. Sonny Echono.
He said the removal of the recruitment waiver requirement
was captured in recent agreements signed between the Federal Government and
university staff unions, describing the measure as part of broader efforts to
strengthen the administration and operations of tertiary institutions.
“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,” the President said.
The development is expected to give university authorities
greater room to address staffing gaps without the additional administrative
hurdle of securing recruitment waivers from the OHCSF.
Tinubu also disclosed that the Federal Government was moving
to improve personnel and payroll administration in tertiary institutions
through the migration of their staff from the Integrated Personnel and Payroll
Information System (IPPIS) to the Government Integrated Financial Management
Information System (GIFMIS).
According to him, the transition is designed to improve
payroll efficiency, transparency and accountability, ensure timely and accurate
salary payments, and accommodate the operational peculiarities of universities
and other tertiary institutions.
The President said the measures reflected the government’s
commitment to strengthening institutional autonomy and creating a more enabling
environment for teaching, research, innovation and service delivery.
Beyond the recruitment reforms, Tinubu announced substantial
funding commitments to FUHSA, disclosing that the university had received an
initial N8 billion intervention through TETFund to support its establishment.
He said the investment followed lessons from the COVID-19
pandemic, which exposed critical weaknesses in Nigeria’s healthcare system and
underscored the need to strengthen the country’s capacity to train health
professionals and conduct medical research.
The President said additional funding would be made
available to the institution through TETFund’s regular and special
interventions, alongside allocations in the 2026 national budget for roads,
lecture halls, laboratories and utility vehicles.
He also disclosed that the Federal Government had provided
N10 billion for the National Research Fund in the 2026 fiscal year, urging
universities, particularly specialised institutions such as FUHSA, to
prioritise research capable of addressing Nigeria’s pressing health challenges.
Tinubu said investments in health sciences education and
research remained critical to producing the skilled workforce required to
improve healthcare delivery and reduce the country’s vulnerabilities in the
health sector.
On staff welfare, the President announced that the Federal
Government had signed agreements with academic and non-academic staff unions on
the payment of the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA) and
Consolidated Non-Teaching Tools Allowance (CONTTA), effective January 1, 2026.
He said the agreements, covering universities, polytechnics
and colleges of education, recognised the distinct but complementary
contributions of teaching and non-teaching personnel to the effective running
of tertiary institutions.
“These agreements recognise the distinct but complementary
contributions of academic and non-teaching personnel to the effective
functioning of our tertiary institutions.
“Both categories are indispensable to the delivery of
quality education and national development,” he said.
The agreements form part of the government’s broader
engagement with tertiary education unions on staff welfare and the conditions
required to sustain effective teaching, research and institutional
administration.
Tinubu further revealed that 1,798 students of FUHSA,
representing 43 per cent of the university’s student population, had secured
support from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) for the 2025/2026
academic session.
He said the student loan scheme was intended to ensure that
financial difficulties did not prevent qualified Nigerians from accessing
higher education.
The president congratulated the 50 pioneer graduands, urging
them to apply their knowledge and professional skills to improving healthcare
delivery, particularly for vulnerable Nigerians.
“Your success will be measured not only by your personal
achievements but also by the positive difference you make in the lives of
others,” he said.
He charged the graduands to uphold professionalism,
integrity, compassion and service as they begin their careers, stressing the
importance of placing the welfare of patients and the wider society at the
centre of their work.
Tinubu also commended the university’s management, staff and
governing council for laying the foundation of the institution, urging them to
build it into a centre of excellence in health sciences education, research and
innovation.
He encouraged FUHSA to deepen its collaborations with
international institutions, including the University of Miami, Boston
University and Universiti Sains Malaysia, while ensuring that the partnerships
translate into measurable improvements in teaching, research and healthcare
delivery.
The President reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment
to supporting the university’s development, expressing confidence that its
growth would strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to produce competent health
professionals and researchers
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