Tension As FG Invalidates 32,657 Foreign University Degrees (Video)

The Federal Government of Nigeria has declared all degree certificates issued by Cotonou University between 2017 and the present as invalid.

In a decisive move, the government has also ordered the immediate termination of all personnel currently employed by both public and private sectors who hold fraudulent degrees and certificates from institutions in the Republics of Benin and Togo and notably with the Cotonou University.

This announcement was made by Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, during a press conference in Abuja on Friday, marking his first year in office. The decision follows the approval of recommendations made by a special committee set up to investigate the issue, which was sanctioned during a recent Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu.

Minister Mamman highlighted the extent of the problem, stating, “Information emerged about some of our students obtaining certificates from neighboring countries—some without even attending classes. The ministry responded by establishing a committee to thoroughly investigate this issue. Their findings were presented to the FEC, which approved several key recommendations.”

He further explained that disciplinary actions are already being taken against government staff who were found to have acquired fake certificates. The scope of this crackdown is broad, encompassing multiple ministries and agencies, including the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and the Nigeria Immigration Service.

“Through data from the NYSC, we identified 21,684 individuals who obtained fake certificates from Benin Republic between 2019 and 2023. In Togo, the figure stands at 1,105. These individuals either attended non-recognized institutions or obtained certificates without any academic participation,” Mamman revealed.

The minister emphasized that these institutions are not accredited by their respective countries to offer degree programs. As a result, any certificates obtained from such institutions will not be recognized by the Nigerian government. In Benin, only five universities are officially licensed to offer degree programs, while Togo has three such institutions.

“From 2017 onward, any Nigerian who attended a university in Benin that solely offers programs in English is holding an invalid certificate, as these are not approved institutions. Many of our citizens either attended these unaccredited schools or, in some cases, didn’t attend at all but still managed to obtain certificates,” Mamman added.

Watch the video below;

The government has mandated the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) to issue a circular instructing all employers, both public and private, to identify and terminate any employees holding certificates from these unaccredited institutions. The Head of Service has also been directed to ensure compliance within the public service.

“This is the firm decision of the Federal Government on this matter,” Mamman concluded, signaling a strong stance against academic fraud and a commitment to upholding the integrity of Nigeria’s educational system.
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