President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria has approved the appointments of 555 individuals to serve as Pro-Chancellors/Chairmen and members of Governing Boards for 111 federal universities, polytechnics, and Colleges of Education.
This decision follows Tinubu’s assent to a list of nominees prepared by the Ministry of Education and signed by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack.
An advertorial by the Ministry of Education detailed that each institution would have a chairperson and four members appointed. The appointments come as part of efforts to strengthen the governance of these educational institutions.
“The inauguration and retreat for the Governing Councils will take place on Thursday, May 30 and Friday, May 31, 2024, at the National Universities Commission, 26 Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja. Both events will commence at 9:00am daily,” said Walson-Jack.
When contacted, the Presidency confirmed that the list originated from the Ministry of Education, which made the nominations and forwarded them to the President for approval. “This is from the Federal Ministry of Education…they make the nominations and forward them to the President to sign. But they are at liberty to release it from their end,” explained Bayo Onanuga, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy.
These appointments come in the wake of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) threatening to embark on another strike. The union has criticized the Federal Government for its delay in appointing Governing Councils for federal universities and its perceived lack of attention to academic matters. Additionally, ASUU has expressed dissatisfaction with the recent salary increments of 35% for professors and 25% for other academic staff, arguing that these measures are insufficient.
