Why Nigerian Government expanded suspension of Degree certificates to Kenya, Uganda, Others

Following an investigation by Umar Audu of Daily Nigeria Newspaper, which uncovered how universities in neighboring countries are issuing certificates without due process, the Federal Government of Nigeria has announced its intentions to broaden the crackdown on counterfeit university degrees, extending its focus beyond Benin Republic and Togo to include additional African nations such as Uganda, Kenya, and Niger Republic.

In an undercover report by Umar Audu, he revealed how he obtained a certificate from ESGT, a Benin university in Cotonou, Benin Republic, within six weeks. Audu, who bagged a Mass Communication degree during his discovery, went on to participate in the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme.

Speaking on Channel TV on Wednesday, January 3, 2024, Tahir Mamman, Minister of Education, stated that the government has not only suspended the evaluation and accreditation of degree certificates from the Republics of Benin and Togo but is also extending its reach to other African countries where dubious certificates are issued by certain institutions.

“We are not going to stop at just Benin and Togo. We are going to extend the dragnet to countries like Uganda, Kenya, even Niger here where such institutions have been set up,” Mamman said.

Expressing no sympathy for individuals engaging with such dubious institutions, Mamman announced that security agencies would target individuals already utilizing these fraudulent certificates to secure opportunities within Nigeria.

See Also

Why Influencers Are Consultants And Why They Must Act As Such – Njideka Akabogu

Mamman said, “If a particular institution or operator has been operating, say in the last 10 years, we will check if we can get records of Nigerians who attended that institution. We will trace them. As long as we can lay our hands on their institutions and they are right here with us, certainly, the security agencies will go after them because they are criminals.”

Responding to inquiries about the Student Loan Forum, which is expected to grant loans to aid Nigerian students in their academic pursuits, Mamman disclosed that the President had given his approval for it. He added that the forum would be operational by the quarter of this year, with the committee actively working to implement the President’s directive.