The Federal Ministry of Education has introduced a new policy limiting temporary appointments in federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education to professorial and senior lecturer positions, as directed by the Federal Government.
According to sources, employment in federal institutions will now be driven by the specific requirements of each institution and aligned with their annual budget allocations.
This was disclosed in a letter written by Didi Watson-Jack, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, to the National Universities Commission, National Board for Technical Education and National Commission for Colleges of Education.
The employment process for replacing retired and deceased academic and non-academic staff in federal tertiary institutions has been a contentious issue, with stakeholders citing difficulties arising from the IPPIS as a major challenge.
For instance, the Academic Staff Union of Universities has decried the failure of institutions to replace retired staff members.
ASUU chapters across various states lamented vacancies that were yet to be filled in 2023.
ASUU at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, said about 100 lecturers had left the university, while the union at the Federal University, Gusau, Zamfara, disclosed that the institution was in need of about 1,000 lecturers to fill the vacancies created by those who had left.
The union at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State said over 350 academic vacancies were available at the institution, while 27 lecturers had left two faculties at the University of Lagos, as 100 workers at the University of Uyo travelled out of the country.
Watson-Jack’s letter dated March 24, 2024 which was sighted by our correspondent in Abuja, indicated that institutions were now guided by the following employment requirements, “Governing Councils and Management to assume full responsibility for policy direction and statutory duties of the institution which include recruitment, promotion, disengagement and discipline of staff.
“The Governing Councils shall ensure full compliance with the laws and conditions of service of the institutions and other applicable laws and circulars for effective and efficient governance;
“No tertiary institution shall employ any category of staff not provided for in its budget for the particular year;
“All employment must be based on needs of the institution and to be properly advertised, candidates interviewed and the best employed;
“All newly established tertiary institutions must secure approval for their staffing requirements from their respective regulatory body and the Ministry of Education;
“Any temporary recruitment shall be restricted to only Senior Lecturers and Professorial Cadre and should not account for more than 5% in any given year and such appointment shall not last more than one year;
“Councils and administrators to avoid discriminate and disproportionate employment of staff and shall adhere to NUC’s recommendation of academic to 1:5 of non-academics staff ratio.”
