Education minister Tunji Alausa has approved a policy establishing eligibility criteria for appointing vice-chancellors, rectors, and provosts in federal tertiary institutions.

This is to promote equity, transparency, and integrity in the selection process, according to a statement on Thursday.

It said the policy became necessary following a pattern of undue advantage observed over the years, where officers serving in acting capacities often leveraged their positions to influence appointment outcomes.

“The policy is necessary to eliminate this practice, ensure a level playing field for all qualified candidates, and strengthen institutional governance.

“The policy stipulates that any officer serving in an acting capacity as vice chancellor, rector, or provost shall not be eligible to apply for the substantive position while still holding the acting appointment,” said the ministry.

The statement added, “However, in the interest of fairness, such officers may choose to recuse themselves from their acting positions before the expiration of their non-renewable six-month tenure, thereby becoming eligible to apply for the substantive roles.”

The ministry also mentioned that the policy was designed to complement the ministry’s existing guidelines for appointing vice-chancellors, rectors, and provosts (2013), along with all other extant regulations governing appointments in federal tertiary institutions.

Meanwhile, Mr Alausa has directed all federal tertiary institutions granted waivers to recruit staff to publicly advertise the available vacancies.

Mr Alausa urged the institutions to advertise in at least one national daily newspaper, on their respective websites, and in other relevant academic and professional journals.

According to him, this directive aims to ensure a transparent, open, and competitive recruitment process that offers equal opportunity to all eligible Nigerians.

“This follows the waivers granted to federal tertiary institutions based on submissions made by these institutions concerning their manpower requirements. It is in line with the ministry’s commitment to enhancing the capacity of our higher education institutions,” he said.

He reminded all federal tertiary institutions 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 apply sanctions against any institution that fails to adhere to this directive.

“The Federal Ministry of Education remains firmly dedicated to promoting integrity and fairness in all matters related to the Nigerian higher education system,” he said.

(NAN)