FG makes u-turn 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, following confusion over remarks delivered on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at a university convocation.

The Federal Ministry of Education, in a statement issued on Monday by its Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade, said the existing recruitment waiver process remained in force.

The clarification followed comments made by a presidential representative at the maiden convocation of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Azare, on October 17, 2026, which created the impression that federal tertiary institutions had been exempted from the requirement.

The ministry explained that the approval of staff establishments and authorisation to recruit were separate processes, stressing that neither had been abolished.

According to the statement, the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) remains responsible 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 committee evaluates the staffing needs of each institution against its approved establishment before deciding whether additional recruitment is justified.

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

The ministry said the arrangement had been in operation for several years and was designed to promote institutional efficiency and autonomy while maintaining established controls over recruitment in the public sector.

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

The clarification comes after remarks made at the Azare convocation were interpreted as indicating that federal tertiary institutions had been freed from the requirement to obtain recruitment waivers under the existing framework.

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

The statement did not announce a new policy but emphasised that the existing procedures governing recruitment approvals in federal tertiary institutions remained operational.

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