Nigerian government vows crackdown on fake university certificates

The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, announced on Tuesday that security agencies would actively pursue individuals found with fake university certificates in the country.

This decision comes in the wake of the ongoing investigation into the activities of university certificate racketeers by a committee established by the Federal Government.

The committee’s mandate stems from concerns raised after an investigative report published by Daily Nigerian exposed the activities of degree mills operating in the Benin Republic.

The report, authored by Umar Audu, detailed how individuals could obtain a degree within six weeks and subsequently participate in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme back in Nigeria.

As a result of the report, the Nigerian government imposed a ban on the accreditation and evaluation of degrees from institutions in Benin Republic and Togo.

The investigative committee was further tasked with examining Nigerian private universities established in the last 15 years.

To gather information and insights, the committee invited public submissions and conducted visits to institutions in the Benin Republic.

With the committee expected to submit its report soon, Prof. Mamman assured the public that individuals found with fake certificates would face repercussions, as security agencies would actively track them down.

The Minister of State for Education, Dr. Tanko Sununu, underscored the importance of quarterly citizenship engagements during the event in Abuja.

He emphasized that such engagements aimed to enhance transparency, accountability, and public trust in the education sector.

Additionally, Dr. Sununu highlighted the role of these engagements in identifying and addressing operational challenges within the government.