Former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, has called on the Federal Government to halt the appointment of failed politicians and unqualified individuals as heads of Nigerian universities, warning that such practices are weakening academic standards nationwide.
Jega made the call on Sunday while delivering the 3rd Abdullahi Mahadi Annual Memorial Lecture at Gombe State University (GSU). His lecture, titled “Challenges and Prospects of Improving University Governance in Nigeria,” examined the deepening decline in the quality of leadership within the nation’s tertiary education system.
He noted that Nigerian universities were increasingly being run by individuals who lacked the competence, experience and understanding required for effective university administration. According to him, the growing culture of political interference in the selection of vice-chancellors and governing council members was undermining decision-making and eroding institutional integrity.
“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,” Jega said.
He stressed the need for merit-based, transparent and competitive recruitment processes to ensure that qualified academics are appointed to leadership roles. Unless universities are insulated from political influence, Jega warned, Nigeria would continue to produce graduates who are inadequately prepared to contribute meaningfully to national development.
The memorial lecture, held in honour of the late Professor Abdullahi Mahadi — former Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and pioneer Vice Chancellor of GSU — attracted academics, policymakers, students and key education stakeholders.
Participants at the event echoed Jega’s call, urging the government to undertake urgent reforms to restore credibility and stability to university governance.
In his remarks, GSU Vice Chancellor, Professor Sani Ahmed Yauta, paid tribute to the late Professor Mahadi, describing him as a visionary academic whose leadership laid a solid foundation for the institution. He thanked Professor Jega, the chairman of the event and Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Kashere, Professor Umaru Pate, as well as other dignitaries for sustaining the legacy of the memorial lecture.
The event concluded with a renewed call for the protection of universities from political interference to safeguard the future of higher education in Nigeria.
