Akinwande Soji-Ojo
The Federal Government has revealed that only eight universities were accredited to award degrees to Nigerians in Togo and Benin Republic.
Minister of Education, Prof Tahir Mamman, made the disclosure on Sunday night while speaking on Channels Television programme, ‘Sunday Politics.’
Recall that Mamman had during a press briefing to mark his one year in office last Friday, revealed that over 22,500 Nigerians obtained fake degree certificates from the two countries, adding that such certificates would be cancelled.
According to the minister, the revelation was part of a report submitted to the Federal Executive Council by a committee with a mandate to probe degree certificate racketeering by foreign and local universities in Nigeria.
He added that the development follows the undercover investigation report in which a Nigerian journalist acquired a degree from a university in Benin Republic under two months and used same to be mobilised for the National Youth Service Corps.
Speaking on Sunday, the minister said Nigerian government only recognised three institutions in Togo and five in Benin Republic, noting that the rest were illegal institutions.
Mamman listed the public universities below as government-approved institutions to offer degree programmes in Togo for Nigerian students.
1. Universite De Lome
2. Universite De Kara
3. Catholic University of West Africa
The minister also listed five accredited universities authorised to award degree programmes in Benin Republic for students from Nigeria. They are:
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
Mamman insisted that there is no going back on the decision of the federal government to cancel about 22,700 certificates awarded to Nigerians by some “fake” universities in Togo and Benin Republic.
He maintained that the decision to invalidate the certificates was not harsh as Nigerians who obtained degree certificates from such “illegal tertiary institutions” dent the country’s image.
“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,” the minister said.
