Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, disclosed, on Friday, that over 22, 500 Nigerians are parading fake certificates obtained from Benin Republic and Togo between 2019 and 2023.
He said that over 21, 600 obtained the certificates from unaccredited universities in Benin Republic within the time frame, while about 1,105 also obtained theirs at some unaccredited Universities in Togo.
The Minister disclosed the information at a press conference in Abuja, to mark his first anniversary, adding that some of the numbers were harvested from records from the National Youth Service Corp and other sources.
He said, “From all indications, the figure is higher than what we have already. This is because some of the people choose not to participate in the mandatory NYSC scheme and other engagements that would have enabled us to harvest their data.
“Sadly, these people have used the fake certificates to apply and secure job opportunities in government and private organizations with the mindset that they schooled abroad, while people who studied day and night are out there looking for job opportunities.
“Even within the countries, Benin and Togo, these universities are not accredited to offer degree programmes. I don’t know how Nigerians chose to go to unaccredited institutions abroad to ‘study’. Our investigations also indicated that many of the people never even attended the school physically. ”
The Minister, however, confirmed that a circular is being prepared from the Office of Head of Service of the Federation that would enable the fish out of these people for due prosecution.
“Private sector operators are also encouraged to carry out further investigations on their staff who are parading foreign certificates and ensure that anyone parading a certificate obtained from these countries between 2019 and 2023 is fished out and handed over to the Federal Ministry of Education for prosecution. Because the circular from the Head of Service will also be binding on private sector operators.”
Nevertheless, he confirmed that only five Universities in Benin and three in Togo were accredited to offer degree programmes, and people who passed through those schools were exempted from the punitive measures.
Meanwhile, the Minister disclosed that about four million out-of-school children have been pulled off the streets back to the classrooms through several of its programmes majorly championed by the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-school Children.
He added, “Our target is the see about 3 to 4 million children leave the streets and return the school annually, and if that is successfully achieved, then by the end of the administration, significant achievements would have been made as regards the out-of-school children.
Recently an investigative report by a reporter, Umar Audu, with the Daily Nigerian newspaper revealed the activities of degree mills in Benin Republic and Togo.
The reporter revealed how he obtained a degree within six weeks and even proceeded to embark on mandatory youth service under the National Youth Service Corps scheme.
Audu, who reached out to the syndicate that specialises in selling degree certificates in December 2022, graduated in February 2023 and was issued a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communication certificate from the Ecole Superieure de Gestion et de Technologies, Cotonou, Benin Republic.
The report which exposed the illegalities perpetrated by some tertiary institutions in the West African states led to the Nigerian government placing a ban on the accreditation and evaluation of degrees from Benin Republic and Togo.
The Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman having received the report of the Committee, noted that holders of fake degrees from Nigerian and foreign universities will be flushed out of the system.
Some of the recommendations of the committee stressed the need for universities in the country to conduct their admissions via the Central Admissions Processing System popularly known as CAPS and the mandatory submission of matriculation list.
PUNCH
