Recruitment Waiver For Federal Universities, Polytechnics Still In Force – FG
The Federal Government has said the recruitment waiver process for federal tertiary institutions remains in force and has not been abolished.
The Federal Ministry of Education made the clarification on Monday, dismissing erroneous impressions from a speech delivered by the representative of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the maiden convocation ceremony of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Azare, on October 17, 2026.
In a statement, the Ministry explained that while the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) approves establishment waivers for federal institutions, recruitment waiver requests are considered and approved by a committee chaired by the Minister of Education.
It noted that the OHCSF retains responsibility for determining authorised staff establishments and assessing manpower requirements and is also represented on the waiver committee.
The committee, chaired by the Minister of Education, evaluates the staffing needs of tertiary institutions against their approved establishments to determine the justification for additional recruitment.
“The Ministry therefore emphasises that the existing recruitment waiver protocol, which has been in operation over the past few years to promote greater institutional efficiency and autonomy, remains in force. All requests must continue to comply strictly with the established approval process,” the statement said.
The Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, due process and accountability in the management of human resources across federal tertiary institutions, in line with the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI) and President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
