President Bola Tinubu has exempted federal universities from obtaining OHCSF recruitment waivers, giving education authorities and governing councils greater control over staff hiring.
President Bola Tinubu has exempted federal universities from the requirement to obtain recruitment waivers from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF).
Speaking at the maiden convocation of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Azare (FUHSA), in Bauchi State on Saturday, Tinubu said the exemption was documented in the recent agreements signed with university staff unions. He was represented by Sonny Echono, executive secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).
Greater Powers for Councils
The president said the reform would empower the Federal Ministry of Education and university governing councils to make recruitment decisions.
“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,” he said.
The recruitment waiver is an approval that a federal government institution may be required to obtain from the OHCSF before hiring new employees. For federal universities, the requirement can affect how quickly they fill vacant positions, replace retiring staff and recruit additional academic and non-academic personnel.
Payroll Move From IPPIS to GIFMIS
Tinubu said his administration is also working to improve personnel and payroll administration across tertiary institutions by moving their staff from the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) to the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS).
He said the move is aimed at making payroll more efficient, improving transparency and accountability, ensuring timely and accurate salary payments, and accommodating the operational peculiarities of tertiary institutions.
“This measure is part of our broader commitment to strengthening institutional autonomy, improving personnel and payroll management, and creating an enabling environment for effective teaching, research, innovation and service delivery,” he said.
Funding for FUHSA and Research
The president reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening tertiary education through infrastructure, research funding and better welfare for university staff.
He said the federal government gave FUHSA an initial N8 billion intervention through TETFund to support its establishment, after the COVID-19 pandemic exposed critical gaps in Nigeria’s healthcare system. Further investment would come through TETFund’s regular and special interventions, as well as provisions in the 2026 national budget for roads, lecture halls, laboratories and utility vehicles.
Tinubu added that N10 billion had been provided for the National Research Fund in 2026, and urged universities, especially specialised institutions such as FUHSA, to pursue research that can address the country’s pressing health challenges.
Speaking as Visitor to the university, he also said 1,798 FUHSA students had so far secured support from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) for the 2025/2026 academic session.
FUHSA was established in 2021 during the second term of the late former President Muhammadu Buhari. About 50 pioneer graduates received their degrees at the convocation on Saturday.
