The Nigerian Government has ordered all the outgoing Vice Chancellors, VC, in federal universities to nominate a Deputy Vice Chancellor to serve as acting VC of their respective institutions.
The National Universities Commission, NUC, gave this order in a latter dated May 28, 2024 and signed by the acting Executive Secretary, Chris Maiyaki.
Maiyaki stated that the move was initiated by the Federal Ministry of Education.
According to him, the appointment of the acting vice chancellors should be done through the recommendations of the universities’ Senates.
He added that the soon-to-be inaugurated Governing Councils of the universities will appoint acting vice chancellors for a specific period before selecting a substantive VC.
The letter reads in part; “I write, further to previous communication Ref. No. NUC/ES/138/Vol. 65/88 and dated 27 May 2024, to convey the directive of the Federal Ministry of Education, vide its letter Ref. No. FME/TE/CỰ/130/T6/458 and dated 28 May 2024 (copy attached), to the effect that Vice-Chancellors of Federal Universities, who are rounding up their tenures, are to nominate, through the recommendation of their Senates, a Deputy Vice-Chancellor that will oversee the office of the Vice-Chancellor in a temporary capacity.
“The Governing Councils, after their inauguration, will appoint Acting Vice-Chancellors for a period not less than 6 months, during which they will commence the process of appointing substantive Vice-Chancellors.”