April 10, (THEWILL) – The Federal Government has unveiled a new policy aimed at restoring credibility to leadership appointments within Nigeria’s public tertiary institutions.
Folasade Boriowo, the Director of Press at the Federal Ministry of Education, issued a statement on Thursday, expressing concerns over manipulation in the selection of institutional heads.
Recalling months of controversy surrounding appointments in several universities, including the University of Abuja, Admiralty University, and Nnamdi Azikiwe University, the statement accused acting Vice Chancellors and Rectors of using their temporary positions as springboards to secure permanent appointments, often at the expense of merit and transparency.
Consequently, the Minister of Education, Maruf Alausa, has approved a formal policy that bars any individual serving in an acting capacity as Vice Chancellor, Rector, or Provost from applying for the substantive role—unless they first step down from the acting position.
“This measure is necessary to ensure that no individual exploits the leverage of an acting role to influence selection outcomes. We are committed to a process that is not only fair, but also perceived to be fair”, the ministry stated.
The Ministry emphasised that the policy will operate alongside existing appointment guidelines established in 2013, urging Governing Councils and tertiary institution managements to ensure “strict compliance”.
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