A proposed bill in Parliament aims to amend the Fiji National University Act 2009, facilitating the transfer of the university’s oversight from the Ministry of Education to the Ministry of Strategic Planning, National Development, and Statistics. The Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka, introduced the Fiji National University (Amendment) Bill 2026 yesterday.
This legislative proposal is intended to make a technical adjustment to the definition of “Minister” within the Act, aligning it with the government’s recent decision to reassign responsibility for the university. The amendment is structured to formalize this shift in oversight, enabling flexibility regarding which minister will oversee the Fiji National University (FNU).
Specifically, Clause 2 of the bill seeks to amend Section 3 of the original Act by eliminating references to the Education Minister for tertiary education, replacing them with the minister responsible for administering the Act. This change ensures that stewardship of FNU can be transferred to any relevant minister as deemed appropriate by the government.
The amendment reflects a strategic initiative announced by the Prime Minister and supported by Education Minister Aseri Radrodro, aiming to integrate FNU more effectively into national development priorities. Radrodro praised the decision as an embodiment of a collaborative approach to enhance the university’s role, especially given its dual function as a provider of higher education and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
The bill will undergo debate today, and if approved by Parliament, the new law will come into effect on a date determined by the responsible minister and subsequently published in the Gazette. This legislative move is seen as a crucial step in aligning academic institutions with the broader goals of national development, presenting a hopeful outlook for the future of education in Fiji.
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