August 24, 2024- The Federal Government has uncovered that more than 22,500 Nigerians have been using fake certificates obtained from unaccredited universities in Benin Republic and Togo between 2019 and 2023. This revelation was made by the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, during a press briefing on Friday.
Prof. Mamman disclosed that out of these figures, approximately 21,600 certificates were issued by unaccredited universities in Benin Republic, while around 1,105 were obtained from similar institutions in Togo. These fake certificates have raised significant concerns, prompting the government to take decisive action against those involved.
While presenting his first-year ministerial scorecard, Prof. Mamman stated, “One of the things we did in the course of the year was—remember when information broke out about some of our students going to neighbouring countries—some not even going at all—to obtain certificates. The ministry set up a committee to look into that; the committee came up with a detailed review; that review was sent to the federal executive council about a month ago, which approved some of the recommendations from the ministry.”
The Minister further announced that the Federal Government has authorized the dismissal of any employee in the public or private sector found to possess counterfeit degree certificates. The crackdown on fake degrees follows an investigative report by Umar Audu, a reporter from *Daily Nigerian*, who revealed how he was able to obtain a degree in just six weeks from an unaccredited institution in Benin Republic.
As part of the government’s response, the recommendations from the committee will be implemented alongside other relevant ministries and agencies, including the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and Immigration. Prof. Mamman emphasized that only degrees from officially recognized universities in Benin Republic and Togo would be considered valid.
He further explained, “So what the FEC now approves is that, through the data, that NYSC has, about 21,684 students that are parading fake certificates from Benin Republic, obtained between 2019 to 2023. Togo is about 1,105. How did that happen? They simply attend schools, which are not recognized in those countries.”
The Federal Government also plans to issue a circular to all employers, instructing them to identify and take action against employees with fake certificates. The Head of Service has been directed to ensure that public sector employees with such credentials are removed from their positions.
This move by the government is seen as a significant step in curbing the growing issue of fake certificates and ensuring the integrity of educational qualifications in Nigeria.
