”Stop appointing failed politicians to lead universities” – Prof. Jega tells FG

By Muhammad Sani Uba

Former INEC Chairman and respected academic, Professor Attahiru Muhammadu Jega, has called on the Federal Government to stop appointing failed politicians and unqualified individuals as heads of Nigerian universities, warning that such practices are crippling academic standards and undermining the integrity of higher education.

Professor Jega made the remark on Thursday while delivering the 3rd Abdullahi Mahadi Annual Memorial Lecture at Gombe State University, Gombe State.

The lecture was titled ‘’Challenges and Prospects of Improving University Governance in Nigeria.

The distinguished scholar from the Department of Political Science, Bayero University, Kano, said universities must be governed by competent, experienced, and visionary academic leaders, not political loyalists with no understanding of university administration.

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He lamented that political interference in the appointment of vice-chancellors, governing council members, and other top officials has contributed to the deterioration of university governance, poor decision-making, and the deepening crisis of quality in the Nigerian higher education system.

According to him, “A university is a specialized intellectual environment. It cannot thrive when leadership positions are turned into political compensation for those who failed in elections or have no academic standing.”

Professor Jega stressed the need for merit-based, transparent, and competitive recruitment processes to ensure that the most qualified academics are appointed to leadership positions. He warned that unless Nigerian universities are insulated from political meddling, the country will continue to produce graduates who are ill-equipped for national development.

SolaceBase reports that the memorial lecture, held in honour of the late Professor Abdullahi Mahadi, a pioneer Vice Chancellor of GSU, brought together academics, policymakers, students, and education stakeholders who echoed Jega’s call for urgent reforms to restore sanity and credibility to university governance in Nigeria.