The House of Representatives Committee on University Education has expressed concern over what it describes as widespread violations of federal character principles in staff recruitment and student admissions across several federal universities.
Chairman of the Committee, Abubakar Hassan Fulata, made the observation in a statement issued to journalists on Thursday in Abuja following the committee’s recent oversight visits to universities in the South-West, including the University of Ibadan; Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife; the Federal University of Technology, Akure; and others.
Fulata said existing laws guiding fair representation in admission and employment were not being complied with, stressing the need for universities to reflect national equity in all recruitment and admission processes, irrespective of their locations.
“We have observed that many universities are not complying with the federal character principles in the appointment and employment of workers, even in the admission of students,” he said.
“The Act establishing the Federal Character Commission is very clear: 2.7 per cent equity for each state, 1 per cent for the Federal Capital Territory, and 3 per cent for the host state. But there is no semblance of this in these universities today.”
He emphasised that the oversight mission was not targeted at any institution but formed part of the committee’s constitutional mandate to strengthen transparency, accountability, and efficiency in public universities.
While acknowledging that universities face numerous funding challenges, Fulata urged the institutions to ensure prudent use of available resources. He criticised the allocation of substantial funds to travel, entertainment, and other non-essential expenditures at the expense of academic and infrastructural needs.
The committee also warned against under-reporting of internally generated revenue, suppression of figures, misrepresentation of records, and irreconcilable financial entries within university accounts.
Other institutions visited during the oversight include the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti; the Federal University of Health Sciences, Ila Orangun, Osun State; the Federal University of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Abeokuta, Ogun State; and the Nigerian French Language Village, Badagry, Lagos State.
Nigeria’s federal character principle, introduced in the late 1970s and entrenched in the 1999 Constitution, aims to ensure equitable distribution of public sector opportunities and prevent dominance by any group or region. However, investigations over the years have shown that several universities continue to tilt admissions and staff recruitment disproportionately in favour of host communities, sometimes overshadowing merit lists and limiting national representation.
The committee said it will continue engaging university regulatory bodies to ensure full compliance with existing laws and to safeguard equity in Nigeria’s higher education system.
