Federal universities and other higher institutions of learning across the country have begun fresh recruitment of academic and non-teaching staff to replace retired and migrated workers, The PUNCH has learnt.

The recruitment drive follows the reversal of the ban on employment in tertiary institutions earlier imposed by the administration of the late former President Muhammadu Buhari.

The restriction was lifted by President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

In a statement, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, said the Federal Ministry of Education would supervise the process to ensure transparency and fairness, adding that institutions must obtain waivers before embarking on recruitment.

He directed all federal tertiary institutions with approved waivers to publicly advertise vacancies in at least one national daily newspaper, on their websites, and in relevant academic and professional journals.

“This directive aims to ensure a transparent, open, and competitive recruitment process that offers equal opportunity to all eligible Nigerians. In addition, all federal tertiary institutions are reminded to submit their recruitment needs to the ministry for review by the Committee on Waiver and Recruitment.

The ministry has put in place adequate mechanisms to ensure compliance and will not hesitate to sanction any institution that fails to adhere to this directive,” the statement read.

Nigeria’s tertiary institutions have faced severe staffing shortages due to mass migration of academics and non-academics in a trend popularly known as japa.

Replacements for retirees and deceased staff were also delayed during the ban.

The immediate past President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Prof. Victor Osodeke, said the embargo had left lecturers overworked.

Similarly, Prof. Ikechukwu Onyishi of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, noted that retirements, deaths, and mass resignations in search of better opportunities abroad had strained the remaining staff and undermined teaching quality.

“Many lecturers have retired, some died on active duty, while others resigned and left the country in search of greener pastures due to poor pay and benefits in public universities,” Onyishi said.

Findings by The PUNCH revealed that several leading institutions have already advertised vacancies, including the University of Lagos, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, University of Port Harcourt, University of Calabar, University of Ibadan, University of Maiduguri, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, Federal University of Education, Pankshin, Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Federal University of Health Sciences, Ila-Orangun, and the Federal College of Education, Yola, among others.

Education rights activist, Ayodamola Oluwatoyin, welcomed the development but urged institutions to ensure fairness in the recruitment process.

“We at Reform Education Nigeria are pleased with the news, as this will reduce the burden on lecturers. However, we appeal to institutions to ensure free and fair recruitment and give opportunities to qualified young academics,” he said.

The Ministry of Education’s Director of Press, Folasade Boriowo, told The PUNCH that the ministry would closely monitor the exercise to guarantee transparency. (PUNCH)

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