In a decisive move to clamp down on academic fraud, the Federal Government of Nigeria has officially recognized only eight universities across Togo and Benin Republic as the sole institutions authorized to award degrees to Nigerian students.
This was disclosed by the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics program.
Minister Mamman revealed that more than 22,500 Nigerians have been issued fraudulent degrees from unaccredited universities in these neighboring countries, leading the government to take firm action. He announced that these illegitimate certificates would be invalidated, ensuring that they hold no value within Nigeria.
This revelation is part of a broader investigative report submitted to the Federal Executive Council by a special committee tasked with uncovering the extent of certificate racketeering both within Nigeria and abroad. The investigation gained significant traction after a Nigerian journalist, as part of an undercover operation, managed to obtain a degree from a Benin Republic university in less than two months.
The journalist then successfully used the fake credential to secure deployment in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), highlighting the ease with which such fraudulent activities were conducted.
During the interview, Mamman specified that the Nigerian government recognizes only three universities in Togo and five in Benin Republic as legitimate institutions. The accredited universities in Togo are:
- Universite De Lome
- Universite De Kara
- Catholic University of West Africa
In Benin Republic, the recognized institutions are:
- Universite D’abomey-Calavi
- Universite De Parakou
- Universite Nationale Des Sciences, Technologies Ingenierie Et Mathematiques
- Universite Nationale D’Agriculture
- Universite Africaine De Developpement Cooperatif
The minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to revoking approximately 22,700 certificates issued by unaccredited universities in Togo and Benin Republic. He stressed that this action is necessary to protect the integrity of Nigeria’s educational system and prevent the tarnishing of the nation’s image by those who have obtained these dubious qualifications.
“Many of the individuals holding these fake certificates never even left Nigeria but obtained them through racketeering schemes involving complicit government officials both locally and internationally,” Mamman explained.
He further warned that the government would identify and take action against public servants found to possess such fraudulent credentials and urged the private sector to scrutinize the academic qualifications of their employees to ensure compliance.
This crackdown signals the government’s unwavering stance against academic fraud and underscores the importance of maintaining the credibility of Nigeria’s educational system.
