FG backtracks on recruitment waivers for varsities, clarifies approval process

The Federal Government has clarified that federal tertiary institutions must continue to obtain recruitment waivers before employing additional personnel, amid confusion triggered by a presidential representative’s recent announcement at a university convocation.

The Federal Ministry of Education, in a statement issued by its Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade, on Monday, said the recruitment waiver process remained in force, contrary to impressions created by remarks delivered on behalf of President Bola Tinubu at the maiden convocation of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Azare, on October 17, 2026.

The clarification effectively draws a distinction between the approval of staff establishments and the authorisation to recruit, insisting that neither process has been scrapped.

According to the ministry, the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) retains the responsibility for approving establishment waivers, determining authorised staff strength and assessing manpower requirements across federal institutions.

However, requests by tertiary institutions to recruit beyond their approved establishments are considered by a separate committee chaired by the Minister of Education.

The ministry explained that the committee evaluates institutions’ staffing needs against their approved establishments before determining whether additional recruitment is justified.

The OHCSF is also represented on the committee, ensuring that recruitment requests are assessed in line with approved manpower structures and existing procedures.

It said the arrangement, which has operated over the past few years, was designed to promote institutional efficiency and autonomy without abandoning established controls over public-sector recruitment.

“All requests must continue to comply strictly with the established approval process,” the ministry stressed.

The clarification comes after the presidential representative’s remarks at the Azare convocation generated the impression that federal tertiary institutions had been freed from the requirement to obtain recruitment waivers through the existing framework.

Reaffirming its commitment to transparency, due process and accountability, the ministry said the continued application of the protocol was consistent with the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI) and Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

The statement did not indicate any new policy change, but stressed that the existing arrangements governing recruitment approvals in federal tertiary institutions remained operational.