UNIBEN to recruit again after 10-year employment freeze

Vice-Chancellor of the University of Benin, Prof. Edoba Omoregie.

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Benin, Prof. Edoba Omoregie, SAN, has said that another set of graduates will be employed to shore up the school’s workforce after a 10-year freeze.

The VC, who stated this on Saturday, noted that a similar exercise was carried out last year after several members of staff retired or changed jobs, thereby opening spaces for new employees to come in.

Omoregie stated that for 10 years before he became the VC, it had become apparent that the school needed to recruit massively to take care of the shortfall.

He said, “For 10 years there was no employment in the school, but I have adopted a strategy that has put hundreds of graduates in paid jobs at the school.

“Another set of people would soon be employed into both the academic and non-academic sections after a similar exercise was carried out last year.

“Many workers were retiring, some resigning or others changing jobs, which created vacancies in the school, but past administrations did not replace them. They said the government placed an embargo on employment, but there was nothing like that. The government only said there will be no new commission in some universities, but you can use replacement based on attrition.”

He stated that about 400 spaces would open soon based on those who are retiring, noting that the appropriate body would be approached to ensure that those spaces were filled.

“Even from calculating those who were going to retire alone, we got over 400 spaces this year. So we calculated all that, approached the appropriate approving body for those who are leaving to be replaced, for those who have left to be replaced; that was what they didn’t do for 10 years.

“That was why our emolument cost plummeted significantly. UNIBEN used to have one of the highest numbers of employees, but our staff strength plummeted from about 8,000 to about 5,000 when I took office.”

“The last time any employment took place on this campus until last year was in 2015. So for 10 years, the university bled; they had to start moving non-academic staff into academic staff; they started recruiting adjuncts. You don’t run a university like that. Those gaps, by the grace of God, are now being filled.

“We did about 500 last year, and by the special grace of God, this year we are still going to do an equal number,” he added.

In July 2026, the institution launched a N100 billion Trust Development Fund to provide quality infrastructure, strengthen teaching and learning, and expand research capacity.

Speaking as the special guest of honour at the launch, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, said the initiative aligns perfectly with the Federal Ministry of Education’s Nigerian Education Sector Renewal Initiative, which, he added, seeks to reposition education through innovation, strategic partnerships, improved governance, quality assurance, digital transformation, expanded access and sustainable financing.