THE Federal Government has ordered all federal tertiary institutions granted waivers to recruit new staff to publicly advertise available vacancies in at least one national newspaper.
The directive by the Minister of Education, Maruf Tunji Alausa, was contained in a statement issued on April 9, 2025, by the Director of Press and Public Relations in the Federal Ministry of Education, Boriowo Folasade.
According to the statement, institutions are further directed to publish the job openings on their official websites and in relevant academic and professional journals.
This, the ministry noted, is aimed at ensuring transparency, openness, and fairness in the recruitment process within Nigeria’s higher education system.
The move followed waivers approved for federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education to fill critical manpower gaps in their institutions, according to the statement.
“In addition, all Federal Tertiary Institutions are reminded to submit their recruitment needs to the ministry for review by the committee on waiver and recruitment. The ministry has put in place adequate mechanisms to ensure compliance and will not hesitate to apply sanctions against any institution that fails to adhere to this directive.
“The Federal Ministry of Education remains firmly dedicated to promoting integrity and fairness in all matters related to the Nigerian higher education system,” the statement added.
The ICIR reports that this development builds on an earlier announcement made by President Bola Tinubu during the 39th convocation ceremony of the University of Ilorin in October 2024.
At the event, the president, represented by the Minister of State for Education, Yusuf Sununu, stated that the federal government had granted recruitment waivers to universities to tackle staff shortages and support uninterrupted academic calendars.
Tinubu reiterated the administration’s commitment to revitalising the education sector, while also calling for peaceful engagement between academic unions and the government to avoid industrial actions that disrupt learning.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M