A former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Muhammadu Jega, has called on the Federal Government to stop appointing failed politicians and unqualified individuals to head Nigerian universities, warning that the practice is damaging academic standards and institutional governance.
Jega made the call while delivering the 3rd Abdullahi Mahadi Annual Memorial Lecture at Gombe State University, titled “Challenges and Prospects of Improving University Governance in Nigeria.” He said universities are specialised intellectual environments that require competent, experienced and visionary academic leaders, not political appointees installed as compensation for electoral defeat or loyalty.
According to him, political interference in the appointment of vice-chancellors, governing council members and other key officials has steadily weakened university governance, encouraged poor decision-making and eroded academic integrity. He warned that when leadership positions are politicised, universities lose their capacity to drive research, innovation and national development.
Jega emphasised that leadership recruitment in universities should be merit-based, transparent and competitive, stressing that only qualified academics with proven records of scholarship and administration should be entrusted with such responsibilities.
The former INEC chairman, who previously served as Vice-Chancellor of Bayero University, Kano, said restoring professionalism in university leadership is essential to reversing the decline in educational standards and rebuilding public confidence in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions.
He urged the Federal Government and other stakeholders to insulate universities from political patronage and return to globally accepted best practices in higher education governance, noting that the future of the country depends largely on the quality of its universities and their leadership.
Abuja Network News
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