The Federal Government claims that just eight universities are accredited to grant degrees to Nigerians in Togo and Benin Republic, yet it has revealed that over 22,500 Nigerians have gotten phoney degree credentials from these countries. The Federal Government says that these certifications will be revoked.
The disclosure was included in a report that a committee tasked with looking into degree certificate racketeering by domestic and foreign universities in Nigeria submitted to the Federal Executive Council, according to Minister of Education Tahir Mamman, who made this known on Sunday night while speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics program.
Speaking at the event, the minister stated that the federal government only recognised five institutions in the Benin Republic and three in Togo, designating the remaining institutions as unlawful. Mamman identified the public universities below as the institutions that have been approved by the federal government to provide degree programs in Togo to Nigerian students.
1. University De Lomé
2. University De Kara
3. Catholic University of Africa
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The minister also mentioned five recognised universities that are permitted to offer Nigerian students degree programs in the Benin Republic of Benin.
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
Additionally, the minister emphasised that the Federal Government’s decision to revoke the approximately 22,700 credentials that some “fake” universities in the neighbouring countries of Togo and Benin Republic had given to Nigerians could not be reversed.
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.”
