The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced a new policy directive prohibiting individuals serving in acting capacities as Vice-Chancellors, Rectors, and Provosts from contesting for substantive appointments in the same institutions.
This decision, made public by the Federal Ministry of Education, is aimed at promoting transparency, fairness, and equity in the appointment processes across federal tertiary institutions.
According to the directive, effective immediately, any individual appointed in an acting capacity shall be ineligible to participate in the selection process for the substantive position. The policy is designed to prevent conflicts of interest, ensure a level playing field for all applicants, and reinforce integrity in institutional governance.
A spokesperson for the Ministry emphasized that the measure is in line with global best practices and seeks to eliminate undue advantage, perceived or real, that acting heads may have over other contenders during the selection process.
“This is part of ongoing efforts to sanitize the leadership recruitment process within our higher education institutions,” the spokesperson stated. “We are committed to fostering merit-based appointments and enhancing the credibility of our academic leadership systems.”