Business a.m
The federal government of Nigeria has suspended the evaluation and accreditation of degree certificates from the neighbouring countries of Benin and Togo,in light of recent concerns about the integrity of academic credentials issued by these countries.
The statement highlighted the various ways in which individuals have been attempting to fraudulently obtain academic degrees from Benin and Togo. The federal government noted that these individuals were not only taking advantage of unsuspecting job seekers, but also putting the country at risk by engaging in illegal activity.
The statement explained that the decision to suspend the accreditation of degrees from Benin and Togo was based on an investigative report by an online newspaper. The report revealed that a Cotonou-based university had issued a degree certificate to an undercover journalist within six weeks. This indicates that the degrees being issued from these countries are not only fraudulent, but also being issued without due process.
The federal government said that the suspension will remain in place until an investigation involving the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Education of Nigeria and the two affected countries, Benin and Togo, is completed. In addition, the investigation will also involve the Department of State Security Services (DSS) and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
The statement partly read; “The attention of the Federal Ministry of Education has been drawn to the commendable work of investigative journalism that led to the publication by the Daily Nigerian Newspaper dated 30th December 2023 titled “UNDERCOVER: How DAILY NIGERIAN reporter bagged Cotonou varsity degree in 6 weeks, participated in NYSC scheme.
“This report lends credence to suspicions that some Nigerians deploy nefarious means and unconscionable methods to get a Degree with the end objective of getting graduate job opportunities for which they are not qualified.
“The Federal Ministry of Education vehemently decries such acts and with effect from 2nd January 2024 is suspending evaluation and accreditation of degree certificates from Benin and Togo Republics pending the outcome of an investigation that would involve the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria and the two countries, the ministries responsible for Education in the two countries as well the Department of State Security Services (DSSS), and the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC).”
The statement went on to highlight the problems that the Ministry of Education has been facing in tackling the issue of fraudulent academic credentials. It noted that there are not only institutions located abroad that issue these fraudulent degrees, but also institutions located within Nigeria. The statement stressed that the Ministry is working to address this issue and protect the interests of innocent Nigerians who are victims of these fraudulent activities. It also called on Nigerians to be wary of falling prey to the false promises of these institutions.”
The federal government also explained that the Ministry and the National Universities Commission (NUC) have been warning the public about these fraudulent institutions for some time. It noted that, in some cases, reports have been made to security agencies to take action against the perpetrators. The statement stressed that the Ministry is committed to continuing to review its strategy and processes to prevent these fraudulent activities from occurring in the future. It also reiterated its commitment to holding any officials who may be complicit in these activities accountable.
