The Federal Ministry of Education has officially suspended the accreditation of degree certificates obtained from institutions in Benin Republic and Togo. This decision, effective from January 2, 2024, comes in response to concerns about Nigerians utilizing dubious methods to obtain degrees, with the aim of securing job opportunities for which they lack qualification.
The move follows an investigative report titled “How Daily Nigerian reporter bagged Cotonou varsity degree in 6 weeks.” The government has initiated an investigation involving the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Education, as well as collaboration with security agencies, to address the issue and prevent future occurrences.
Former NUC Executive Secretary Prof. Abubakar Rasheed had previously highlighted the problem of Nigerians obtaining fake degrees, and a similar expose in 2023 revealed a London Graduate School selling fraudulent honorary degrees to Nigerians.