Tinubu Eliminates Recruitment Waivers for Federal Universities

On October 17, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu announced the removal of the requirement for federal universities to obtain recruitment waivers from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation. This announcement was made during the maiden convocation of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Azare, where he was represented by Sonny Echono, Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund.

The new arrangement allows federal and university governing councils to make hiring decisions independently, promoting greater institutional autonomy. Additionally, Tinubu mentioned plans to transition staff from the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System to the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System to enhance payroll efficiency and transparency.

He also disclosed that TETFund has allocated an initial N8 billion to support FUHSA's establishment and committed N10 billion to the national research fund for 2026, urging universities to focus their research on critical health challenges in Nigeria.