Federal Gov’t To Exempt Varsities From IPPIS, Approves New Varsity for Abuja

By AmforGod J. Olisa

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has called for swift action on its earlier decision to remove public universities from the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) platform. The Council has instructed the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) to expedite the implementation of this decision, which was made several months ago.

This move aims to address one of the long-standing grievances of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), which has consistently opposed using IPPIS for university staff salaries. ASUU argues that the system fails to accommodate the unique peculiarities of the academic environment.

Additionally, the Council has ratified the establishment of a new National University of Science and Technology in Abuja. This approval was initially granted by former President Muhammadu Buhari on May 28, 2023, during the final days of his administration.

The new university is set to be a pioneering institution, the first in a planned network of Pan-African Institutes of Science and Technology. Its primary mission will be to educate and train African scientists and technologists, potentially boosting the continent’s capacity in these critical fields.