The Federal Government of Nigeria has made a bold move to reform leadership appointments in federal tertiary institutions. They introduced a new policy that bars acting Vice Chancellors, Rectors, and Provosts from contesting for substantive positions. This is applicable while they are still serving in acting capacity.
This policy, approved by the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, aims to uphold fairness, eliminate favoritism, and strengthen governance standards across the education sector.
The announcement was made on Thursday, April 10, 2025. The Director of Press at the Federal Ministry of Education, Mrs. Folasade Boriowo, made the announcement. She emphasized the newly introduced directive directly responds to growing concerns. These are about the integrity of selection processes in public universities and colleges.
According to the statement, the Federal Ministry of Education observed a “recurrent pattern.” Acting heads leverage their interim authority to influence appointment processes. This behavior undermines equal opportunity for other qualified candidates. It also creates institutional bias.
“This policy seeks to eliminate undue advantage. It aims to foster credibility in the leadership recruitment process. It also aims to restore public confidence within the higher education system,” the statement read.
The directive categorically states that any individual currently serving as an acting Vice Chancellor, Rector, or Provost is not eligible to apply for the substantive post. They are required to step down voluntarily. This must happen before the end of their six-month acting tenure.
“For fairness, acting officers who wish to vie for the permanent position must recuse themselves from the acting role prior to the expiration of their non-renewable tenure,” it added.
The policy complements the existing 2013 Guidelines for the Appointment of Vice Chancellors, Rectors, and Provosts. It also complements other related administrative protocols. It is expected to take immediate effect, and all federal tertiary institutions have been instructed to strictly comply.
This move follows recent controversies. These controversies rocked several institutions, including the University of Abuja, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, and Admiralty University. These schools have been in the spotlight due to allegations of biased selection processes and internal crises over leadership succession.
Sources within the education sector say that in many of these cases, acting officers were accused of lobbying and influencing appointment committees while still in office, raising questions about transparency and meritocracy.
Education stakeholders have commended the ministry’s action, calling it a “long-overdue intervention” that could enhance merit-based appointments in federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education. A senior lecturer at the Federal University of Technology Minna, Dr. Ibrahim Musa, said: “It’s a welcome development. Acting heads should not be allowed to contest while in power. It gives room for favoritism and abuse of office.”
Governing councils and management boards of institutions have now been mandated to review their internal appointment processes in line with the directive. The Ministry also included an annex with the detailed implementation guide for ease of reference and compliance.
With this new policy, the Federal Government signals its commitment to restoring integrity and merit in Nigeria’s educational leadership. As the sector grapples with broader challenges—from funding to strikes—reforms like this may help stabilize tertiary education governance and inspire public trust in institutional management.
This development is expected to reshape leadership dynamics in universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, while providing a level playing field for aspiring candidates across Nigeria’s educational landscape.
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