Professor Tahir Mamman, the Minister of Education, on Friday made shocking revelations about degrees obtained by Nigerians in Benin Republic and Togo respectively.
According to the Minister, more than 22,500 Nigerians acquired fake academic certificates from institutions in those two countries between 2019 and 2023.
He noted that around 21,600 of these fake degrees were gotten from unaccredited universities in Benin Republic, while an additional 1,105 were secured from similar institutions in Togo.
While speaking at a press briefing in Abuja, marking his first year in office, Professor Tahir noted that these figures were put together from records provided by the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and other sources.
He suggested that the true number might be even higher, as some individuals maneuvered the NYSC program and other avenues that would have exposed their fraudulent credentials.
“Unfortunately, these fake certificates have been used to secure jobs in both government and private sectors, under the pretense of having studied abroad. Meanwhile, individuals who genuinely earned their degrees are struggling to find employment,” Prof. Mamman stated.
He further explained that even within Benin and Togo, these universities lack the necessary accreditation to offer degree programs.
“It’s perplexing how some Nigerians opted to ‘study’ at these unaccredited institutions abroad. Our investigations also show that many never even attended these schools in person,” he added.
In response to this issue, the Minister announced that a circular is being prepared by the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation to identify and prosecute those involved.
Private sector employers are also urged to verify the legitimacy of foreign degrees held by their staff, particularly those obtained between 2019 and 2023, and report any suspicious cases to the Federal Ministry of Education for further action.
However, Prof. Mamman clarified that only five universities in Benin and three in Togo have the proper accreditation to offer degree programs, and graduates from these institutions will not be subject to punitive measures
