President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of 555 individuals to serve as Pro-chancellors/Chairmen and members of Governing Boards for 111 federal universities, polytechnics, and Colleges of Education.
This development follows the submission of a list of nominees by the Ministry of Education.The Ministry of Education, through an advertorial signed by its Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, detailed the appointment of a chairperson and four members for each institution.
The official inauguration and retreat for the Governing Councils are scheduled for May 30 and 31, 2024, at the National Universities Commission in Abuja.
Confirming the appointments, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, noted that the list originated from the Ministry of Education.
“This is from the Federal Ministry of Education…they make the nominations and forward them to the President to sign,” Onanuga stated.
The appointments come amid tensions with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), which has recently criticized the Federal Government for delays in appointing Governing Councils for federal universities.
ASUU has also raised concerns over the government’s approach to academic matters and the recent salary increments for university staff, which they deem insufficient.