*Proposes Annual Retreat, Calls for Harmonisation of Council and Vice-Chancellor Tenure
The Chairman of the Governing Council of the Federal University of Education (FUE), Zaria, Amb. Baba Ahmad Jidda, OFR, has commended the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) for organising a capacity-building retreat for Governing Council members of Federal Universities in Nigeria, describing the programme as educative, rewarding, and transformative.
A statement signed by the media aide to the VC Sani Lawal maqarphy said Amb. Jidda made the commendation at the three-day .. retreat held from June 1 – 3, 2026, at Lagos state, which brought..together Pro-Chancellors, Vice-Chancellors, and Governing Council members from Federal Universities across the country.
Delivering a goodwill message on behalf of participants, Amb. Jidda praised the Hon. Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, and the Hon. Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad, for what he described as their vision and commitment to strengthening governance in Nigeria’s federal university system.
“I have the honour to express our deepest and most heartfelt appreciation to the Federal Ministry of Education and NIPSS for the vision, commitment, and distinguished effort invested in organising this highly educative, rewarding, and transformative programme,” he said.
The retreat featured presentations by eminent scholars and university administrators, including Prof. Sola Adeyanju, Director-General of NIPSS; Prof. Peter Okebukola, former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC); Prof. Umar Pate of Bayero University, Kano; Prof. Jane Ande of the University of Jos and NIPSS; Olaoye Jaiyeola, Founder and Pro-Chancellor of Hillside University, Okemesi-Ekiti; and Prof. Victor Dugga, Provost of the Postgraduate College, University of Lafia.
Amb. Baba Ahmad Jidda commended the resource persons for the depth and practical relevance of their contributions, noting that their scholarly engagements were “not only intellectually enriching but also immensely practical and relevant to the evolving demands of university governance in Nigeria.”
He equally drew attention to the need for Nigeria’s federal universities to confront the challenge of over-dependence on ad hoc governance approaches, stressing that the retreat had reinforced the importance of knowledge-driven institutional leadership.
The Council Chairman made two key proposals at the retreat. He urged the Federal Ministry of Education and NIPSS to institutionalise the programme as an annual event, arguing that regular capacity refreshment was essential to sustaining governance quality across federal universities.
“We humbly suggest that this highly beneficial retreat be instituted as an annual event so that Governing Council members may continue to be refreshed, updated, and better equipped to discharge their duties in line with best practices and the ever-evolving realities of university administration,” he stated.
Ambassador Jidda also called for a review of the tenure of Governing Council members to five years, to align with the existing tenure of Vice-Chancellors. He maintained that such harmonisation would promote continuity, institutional memory, and greater effectiveness in university governance.
“Such harmonisation, in my humble view, would promote continuity, institutional memory, stability, and greater effectiveness in university governance,” he added.
He reaffirmed FUE Zaria’s partnership with the Federal Ministry of Education and NIPSS, pledging that insights gained from the retreat would be translated into improved governance practices at the university.
“We are confident that they will translate into improved governance practices, stronger institutions, and greater service to our nation,” he said.