In a bid to restore credibility to leadership appointments within Nigeria’s public tertiary institutions, the Federal Ministry of Education has unveiled a new policy aimed squarely at tackling what it describes as a troubling pattern of manipulation in the selection of institutional heads.
The announcement, made Thursday by Folasade Boriowo, Director of Press at the Ministry, comes after months of controversy surrounding appointments in several universities, including the University of Abuja, Admiralty University, and Nnamdi Azikiwe University.
At the center of the storm: allegations that acting Vice Chancellors and Rectors had been using their temporary positions as springboards to secure permanent appointments, often at the expense of merit and transparency.
Dr. Maruf Alausa, Minister of Education, has now approved a formal policy that bars any individual serving in an acting capacity as Vice Chancellor, Rector, or Provost from applying for the substantive role—unless they first step down from the acting position.
“This measure is necessary to ensure that no individual exploits the leverage of an acting role to influence selection outcomes,” the ministry stated. “We are committed to a process that is not only fair, but also perceived to be fair.”
While the six-month acting appointments remain non-renewable, officials clarified that acting heads who wish to contest for substantive roles can do so—but only if they recuse themselves before their acting tenure lapses.
For many observers in the academic space, this is a long overdue move.
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The Ministry emphasized that the policy will operate alongside existing appointment guidelines established in 2013, urging Governing Councils and tertiary institution managements to ensure “strict compliance.”
What the Ministry hopes this will achieve is a shift—a recalibration of how leadership emerges in Nigeria’s higher institutions.
In recent years, the academic sector has been plagued by intense lobbying, factional disputes, and power tussles during appointment periods.
Critics argue that these battles have eroded the integrity of Nigeria’s education system.
“This new directive is a structural reform,” said a senior academic familiar with the policy. “It signals the Ministry’s awareness of a system that has been quietly gamed for years.”
The broader hope, according to the Ministry, is that a more level playing field will not only elevate the most qualified candidates but also restore public faith in the integrity of Nigeria’s academic leadership.
As the policy takes effect, eyes will remain on how faithfully institutions implement it—and whether it truly changes the tide in the nation’s troubled education sector.