Federal Government has announced that only eight universities in Togo and Benin Republic are recognised to award degrees to Nigerians.
Gatekeepers News reports that the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, made this known on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics program.
Mamman revealed that over 22,500 Nigerians obtained fake degree certificates from the two countries, which would be cancelled.
This follows an undercover investigation report that exposed the ease of obtaining a degree from a university in Benin Republic in under two months.
The minister listed three public universities in Togo and five in Benin Republic as the only recognised institutions to offer degree programs for Nigerian students.
The universities accredited in Togo are;
- Universite De Lome
- Universite De Kara
- Catholic University of West Africa
Universities recognised in Benin Republic are;
- Universite D’abomey-Calavi
- Universite De Parakou
- Universite Nationale Des Sciences, Technologis Ingenierie Et Mathematiques
- Universite Nationale D’ Agriculture
- Universite Africaine De Devlopment Cooperatif
He insisted that the decision to cancel fake certificates was not harsh, as it would help protect the country’s image.
Mamman stated, “Most of those parading fake certificates didn’t even leave Nigeria but got their certificates through racketeering in collaboration with government officials at home and abroad.”
He urged the private sector to follow the government’s lead in fishing out those with fake certificates.
“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.”
