The Federal Government has begun issuing termination letters to employees who obtained degrees from universities in Benin Republic. This follows recommendations from an inter-ministerial investigative committee chaired by Prof. Jubrila Amin, initiated by former Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, to probe reports of degree mills in Benin Republic and other neighboring countries.
Prof. Mamman expressed concern over the findings, emphasizing the Ministry’s commitment to sanitizing the education sector and upholding its integrity. He decried the prevalence of fake certificates, which undermine the credibility of the system and disadvantage genuine graduates seeking employment.
“Investigations revealed that over 22,500 Nigerians obtained fake certificates from unaccredited institutions in Benin Republic and Togo between 2019 and 2023. Among them, 21,600 graduated from unapproved universities in Benin Republic, while 1,105 did so in Togo. Many of these individuals secured jobs in public and private sectors under the guise of studying abroad, sidelining qualified Nigerian graduates,” Mamman said.
He further disclosed that many of the affected individuals did not participate in mandatory programs such as the NYSC, making it challenging to track their data. Some institutions offering these degrees were found to be unaccredited even in their home countries, with students often not attending classes physically.
To address this, the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation has prepared a circular to identify and prosecute offenders. Private sector organizations have also been urged to verify the credentials of employees with foreign certificates from these countries and hand over violators to the Ministry for prosecution.
Prof. Jubrila Amin, chairman of the investigative committee, described the situation as alarming and called for urgent reforms, including digitizing the accreditation and evaluation systems to enhance transparency. He stressed the importance of monitoring institutions offering part-time and sandwich programs to prevent future issues.
Meanwhile, Kaduna Senator Shehu Sani commented on the mass sack via his verified X account, expressing sympathy for the affected individuals and calling on the government to provide alternative pathways, such as degree conversion programs through open universities.
The development has sparked mixed reactions online, with some condemning the fraudulent actions while others appealed for leniency and second chances for the affected workers.
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