FG Urges Universities to Tighten Governance, Financial Accountability
Oluwatobi Adu 
ABUJA, Nigeria – The Federal Government has urged Nigerian universities to strengthen financial accountability, enforce due process and improve transparency in admissions, recruitment and other administrative processes.
The Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Said Ahmad, made the call on Tuesday at the opening of the 2026 National Universities Commission (NUC) retreat in Abuja. Ahmad said effective university leadership required strict adherence to established governance structures and accountability across institutional operations.
She urged vice-chancellors and university administrators to uphold due process in financial management, procurement, recruitment, promotions, admissions and examinations. “University leadership must, therefore, operate within established governance structures, entrenched due processes and prioritise transparency and accountability in financial management, procurement, recruitment, promotion, admissions, examinations, and other institutional processes,” she said.
The minister also urged universities to adapt to emerging developments in higher education, particularly artificial intelligence, digital learning and changing workforce demands.
She challenged participants to move beyond identifying challenges and develop practical measures to improve university administration.
Ahmad also called for a communiqué outlining clear policy actions and institutional commitments, supported by monitoring and feedback mechanisms to track implementation.
FG Pushes for Stronger University Governance
The retreat, themed, “Enhancing Regulatory Compliance, Governance, Leadership, and Partnership in the Nigerian University System.”, brought together vice-chancellors and other stakeholders in Nigeria’s university system.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Local Organising Committee and NUC Director of Research, Innovation and Information Technology, L.M. Faruk, said the retreat was designed to strengthen engagement between the commission and university leaders.
Faruk commended the NUC Executive Secretary, Professor Abdullahi Yusufu Ribadu, for helping to revive the retreat after several years. “The aim of the Retreat is to strengthen the existing relationship between the NUC and Nigerian Universities through strategic engagements with the Vice-Chancellors with a view to promoting effective University governance, administration and regulatory compliance,” he said.
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Hope Ajayi 