In an effort to combat degree certificate racketeering, the Federal Government has revealed that just eight universities in Togo and Benin Republic are accredited to issue degrees to Nigerians.
Tahir Mamman, Minister of Education, revealed this in an interview with Channels Television’s Sunday Politics programme.
Mamman revealed that a shocking number of 22,500 Nigerians got fake degree diplomas from the two countries, which will be revoked.
This revelation comes after an undercover investigation that revealed how easy it is to obtain fake degrees, including an instance in which a Nigerian journalist earned a degree from a Benin Republic university in two months and used it to secure a National Youth Service Corps deployment.
1. Universite De Lome
2. Universite De Kara
3. Catholic University of West Africa
The minister also listed five accredited universities authorized to provide degree programs in Benin Republic of Benin for students from Nigeria.
1. Universite D’abomey-Calavi
2. Universite De Parakou
3. Universite Nationale Des Sciences, Technologis Ingenierie Et Mathematiques
4. Universite Nationale D’ Agriculture
5. Universite Africaine De Devlopment Cooperatif
The minister also stated that there is no going back on the federal government’s decision to cancel over 22,700 certificates granted to Nigerians by some “fake” universities in neighbouring Togo and Benin Republic.
Mamman claimed that the decision to cancel the certificates was not harsh because Nigerians who received degree certificates from such “illegal” tertiary institutions harmed the country’s reputation.
He said, “Most of those parading the fake certificates didn’t even leave the shores of Nigeria but got their certificates through racketeering in collaboration with government officials at home and abroad.
“The “fake universities” capitalised on the “gullibility” of Nigerians patronising such fake schools.
“The federal government, through the offices of the Head of Civil Service and the Secretary of the Federation, would fish out those in the government’s employment with such fake certificates. I also urge the private sector to follow suit.”