President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has introduced plans to take away universities from the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) as a part of efforts to strengthen institutional autonomy and allow tertiary establishments to handle their staffing wants extra effectively.
Tinubu disclosed this on Saturday on the maiden convocation ceremony of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Azare (FUHSA), in Bauchi State, the place he mentioned the reforms have been designed to make Nigeria’s college system extra responsive and aggressive.
The President, who was represented by the Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Sunday Sylva Togo Echono, mentioned the reforms would assist universities appeal to and retain the expertise wanted to enhance instructing, analysis, innovation and nationwide improvement.
He additionally introduced that the federal authorities had eliminated universities from the requirement to acquire recruitment waivers from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
According to him, the Ministry of Education and college governing councils have been empowered to carry out their respective roles in workers recruitment, permitting establishments to reply extra successfully to respectable manpower wants.
Tinubu, who’s the customer to FUHSA, mentioned the college was established by the Federal Government following gaps uncovered in Nigeria’s well being sector by the COVID-19 pandemic.
He defined that the pandemic demonstrated {that a} robust nationwide well being system required not solely hospitals and medical gear but in addition well-trained professionals, analysis capability and establishments able to creating options to rising well being challenges.
He mentioned the federal authorities, by way of TETFund, offered an preliminary intervention of N8 billion to assist the college’s take-off.
“Following its establishment, the federal government, through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, provided an initial intervention of N8 billion to support the take-off of the university. It is therefore particularly gratifying to see the progress that has been made within a relatively short period,” he mentioned.
The President described the commencement of FUHSA’s pioneer college students from the Department of Human Nutrition and Dietetics as a major milestone within the establishment’s improvement.
He assured the college of continued federal authorities assist by way of TETFund’s common and particular interventions, notably in infrastructure improvement, analysis amenities and workers capability constructing.
Tinubu mentioned provisions had additionally been made within the 2026 nationwide finances to strengthen the college’s bodily and operational capability, together with the development of roads and lecture halls, provision of laboratories and acquisition of utility autos.
He added that common overhead allocations would proceed to assist the establishment’s every day operations.
On analysis and innovation, the President mentioned the federal authorities had offered N10 billion for the National Research Fund in 2026 by way of TETFund.
He urged universities, notably these specialising in well being sciences, to benefit from the funding to conduct analysis addressing Nigeria’s well being challenges.
“Our investment in tertiary education is not limited to infrastructure. We are also strengthening research and innovation because no nation can achieve sustainable development without generating knowledge and converting that knowledge into practical solutions,” he mentioned.
Tinubu additionally reaffirmed the federal authorities’s dedication to defending instructional establishments by way of the Safe School Initiative and different measures aimed toward safeguarding college students, academics and educational communities.
He described a secure and conducive studying surroundings as important to instructional excellence, human capital improvement and sustainable nationwide progress.
The President additional emphasised the significance of investing within the welfare {and professional} improvement of college personnel, together with lecturers, researchers, directors, technologists and different workers.
He mentioned his administration remained dedicated to creating an enabling surroundings for employees improvement, improved welfare {and professional} progress whereas selling benefit, productiveness and excellence throughout the college system.
On entry to increased schooling, Tinubu mentioned the federal authorities was utilizing the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) to cut back monetary limitations and allow extra college students to pursue tertiary schooling.
He disclosed that 1,798 FUHSA college students had secured NELFUND assist for the 2025/2026 educational session, representing 43 per cent of the college’s scholar inhabitants.
According to him, the intervention would assist college students from financially constrained backgrounds achieve entry to and stay in increased schooling, whereas strengthening schooling as a pathway to alternative, social mobility and nationwide improvement.
“We will continue to pursue policies that ensure that ability, determination and merit, not financial circumstance, remain the principal determinants of access to quality higher education in Nigeria,” he mentioned.
Tinubu additionally counseled FUHSA for establishing collaborations with internationally recognised establishments, together with the University of Miami, Boston University and Universiti Sains Malaysia.
He mentioned the college had additionally signed memoranda of understanding with federal and state authorities establishments in Nigeria, including that such partnerships may strengthen instructing, analysis, innovation, capability improvement and healthcare supply.
The President urged the college administration to maintain the collaborations and translate them into measurable outcomes that might assist the establishment’s progress and enhance its contribution to Nigeria’s well being sector.
He famous that strategic partnerships may promote data trade, joint analysis, workers and scholar improvement, know-how switch and the adoption of greatest practices.
Congratulating the pioneer graduands, Tinubu mentioned their standing as the primary graduates of the establishment positioned a particular duty on them to contribute to the event of the college and the nation.
“Being the pioneer set also carries a special responsibility. You will be remembered not only as the first to graduate from FUHSA, but also by the contributions you make to the development of this institution and to the nation as alumni,” he mentioned.
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