The Federal Government has dismissed viral reports alleging that the National Universities Commission (NUC) identified 2,000 universities and uncovered about 100 fake professors in Nigeria, describing the claims as false and misleading.
The clarification was issued by the Federal Ministry of Education in a statement on Saturday, November 14, 2026, following the circulation of reports and purported lists on social media.
Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, said the NUC had never declared the existence of 2,000 universities in Nigeria or published, endorsed or authenticated the list of individuals currently being circulated online as fake professors.
The ministry explained that the allegation concerning fake professors originated from a distorted version of a media report published on December 3, 2019. The original report concerned an NUC exercise to verify the directory of full professors in Nigerian universities.
According to the ministry, the 2019 report did not contain the names currently being circulated on social media, adding that the commission had since disowned the purported list.
The government expressed concern over the continued circulation of the claims, warning that the spread of unverified information could undermine public confidence in Nigerian universities and discredit ongoing efforts to strengthen the country’s higher education system.
It urged members of the public, media organisations and social media users to disregard the purported reports and verify information concerning recognised universities and academic standards through the NUC’s official communication channels.
The Federal Ministry of Education reaffirmed its commitment to working with the NUC to safeguard academic integrity, strengthen quality assurance and protect the credibility and international reputation of Nigeria’s university education system.
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