The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, has disclosed that over 22,500 Nigerians are currently parading fake degrees obtained from unaccredited universities in Benin Republic and Togo.
The Minister made this startling announcement during a press conference in Abuja to mark his first year in office.
Prof. Mamman revealed that between 2019 and 2023, approximately 21,600 Nigerians secured fraudulent degrees from unaccredited institutions in Benin Republic, while another 1,105 obtained similar fake qualifications from Togo.
These figures, he noted, were gathered through various sources, including records from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and other undisclosed channels.
However, the Minister cautioned that the actual numbers could be significantly higher, as many of those involved deliberately avoided participating in the NYSC scheme or other formal engagements that could have exposed their fraudulent credentials.
The Minister expressed dismay over how these individuals have leveraged their bogus degrees to secure employment in both government and private sectors, effectively shutting out qualified candidates who genuinely earned their degrees.
“It is disheartening to see that people who toiled day and night to earn legitimate degrees are being sidelined by those wielding fake certificates, obtained under the guise of studying abroad,” Prof. Mamman lamented.
Even more concerning is the fact that the institutions from which these degrees were obtained are not accredited to offer degree programs in their respective countries.
Prof. Mamman questioned the rationale behind Nigerians’ choice to study at such institutions, stating, “I don’t understand how Nigerians choose to go to unaccredited institutions abroad to ‘study’.
“Our investigations have also revealed that many of these individuals never even physically attended the schools they claim to have graduated from.”
In response to this widespread fraud, the Minister announced that a circular is being prepared by the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation.
This circular will mandate government agencies and private sector employers to scrutinize the academic credentials of their staff.
Any individual found to have obtained a degree from these unaccredited institutions between 2019 and 2023 will be subjected to prosecution.
“We are encouraging private sector operators to conduct thorough investigations into the foreign degrees presented by their staff.
Anyone found parading a fake certificate should be handed over to the Federal Ministry of Education for due prosecution,” Prof. Mamman warned.
The Minister clarified that only five universities in Benin Republic and three in Togo are accredited to offer degree programmes.
Graduates from these accredited institutions are exempt from the punitive measures.
While addressing the issue of fake degrees, Prof. Mamman also highlighted the Federal Government’s efforts in reducing the number of out-of-school children, a major challenge in Nigeria’s educational sector.
He disclosed that through various initiatives, particularly those spearheaded by the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children, about four million children have been brought back to the classroom.
The Minister expressed optimism that with continued efforts, the government aims to reintegrate an additional 3 to 4 million children into the educational system annually.
“Our goal is to ensure that by the end of this administration, we would have made significant strides in reducing the number of out-of-school children, a critical issue that directly impacts our national development,” he said.
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