Hope Ajayi 
President Bola Tinubu
ABUJA, Nigeria – President Bola Tinubu has exempted federal universities from obtaining recruitment waivers from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF), a move the Federal Government says will strengthen institutional autonomy and ease staff recruitment.
The announcement was conveyed by the Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Sonny Echono, on Saturday during the maiden convocation ceremony of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Azare (FUHSA), in Bauchi State.
Echono highlighted the recruitment decision as part of wider reforms in the tertiary education sector. He also said the government was migrating staff of tertiary institutions from the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) to the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS), with the stated aim of promoting transparency and ensuring timely salary payments.
He disclosed that FUHSA had received an initial ₦8 billion TETFund intervention, with additional support expected through the 2026 budget.
Echono also announced a ₦10 billion allocation to the National Research Fund to strengthen research and innovation across Nigerian institutions.
He said the Consolidated Academic Tertiary Institutions Allowance (CATA) and Consolidated Tertiary Institutions Teaching Allowance (CONTTA) agreements took effect on 1 January 2026.
The TETFund chief further disclosed that 1,798 FUHSA students, representing 43 per cent of the university’s student population, benefited from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund scheme during the 2025/2026 academic session.
Congratulating the institution’s pioneer graduates, President Tinubu encouraged FUHSA to pursue international partnerships with universities, including the University of Miami, Boston University and Universiti Sains Malaysia, to strengthen academic collaboration and research.
The recruitment waiver exemption could give federal universities greater flexibility in filling vacant academic and non-academic positions. However, the practical implications will depend on the scope of the exemption and any conditions governing its implementation.
About the Author
Oluwatobi Adu 
Mirian Gom