On Wednesday, the Federal Government granted approval to exclude universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and other tertiary institutions from the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
Henceforth, salaries for staff in these institutions will no longer be processed through the IPPIS platform, according to the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris.
This decision, aimed at providing autonomy for the efficient management of public educational institutions, was disclosed after the Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja.
Minister Idris clarified that the IPPIS lacked the flexibility needed for tertiary institutions to govern their affairs independently.
Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, emphasized that the move was unrelated to the integrity of IPPIS or other proposed systems, but rather focused on enhancing the universities’ autonomy.
The decision responds to concerns about universities’ ability to manage their personnel and payroll effectively, as autonomy granted by laws has been eroded by IPPIS.
The IPPIS, introduced in 2006 for personnel record management, has faced resistance from the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), which advocates for the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS). ASUU argues that IPPIS undermines autonomy and fails to accommodate the unique aspects of academic work.
Despite government efforts to enforce IPPIS, tensions persist, leading to strikes and disruptions in academic activities.
The government’s decision to exempt tertiary institutions aims to address these concerns and foster a more effective and autonomous educational environment.
