The Federal Ministry of Education, on Tuesday, made a significant announcement regarding the suspension of accreditation for degree certificates obtained from Benin Republic and Togo by the Federal Government.
The decision was prompted by concerns over Nigerians using dubious methods to acquire degrees, aiming to secure job opportunities for which they lack the necessary qualifications.
The suspension follows an investigative report published by the Daily Nigerian Newspaper, titled “How Daily Nigerian reporter bagged Cotonou varsity degree in 6 weeks.”
This move is pending the outcome of a comprehensive investigation involving Nigeria’s Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Education, the two countries in question, the Department of State Security Services, and the National Youth Service Corps.
In urging the public’s support and cooperation, the Ministry seeks assistance in providing information to aid the committee’s efforts in finding lasting solutions to prevent such incidents from recurring.
Additionally, internal administrative processes have commenced to ascertain the potential involvement of Ministry staff, subject to relevant Public Service Rules.
The Ministry emphasized the global challenge of ‘degree mills’—institutions operating outside regulatory control or existing only on paper.
It reiterated warnings against engaging with such institutions and highlighted efforts to collaborate with security agencies to address this issue.
Furthermore, the Ministry pledged to continually review strategies to combat these challenges effectively.
Notably, the NYSC had previously announced plans to prosecute individuals with fake credentials, especially those obtained from West African countries.
Similarly, a former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission had highlighted the purchase of counterfeit degrees from both local and international ‘degree mills’ by certain Nigerians.
This echoes the exposure of a London Graduate School in 2023, which was selling fake honorary degrees to Nigerians.
