The Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman, disclosed on Friday that over 22,500 Nigerians have obtained fake certificates from unaccredited universities in Benin Republic and Togo between 2019 and 2023.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja to mark his first anniversary, Mamman revealed that 21,600 of these certificates were acquired from unaccredited institutions in Benin Republic, while approximately 1,105 came from unaccredited universities in Togo.
The data was compiled from records provided by the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and other sources.
“From all indications, the figure is higher than what we have already,” Mamman said.
“This is because some of the people chose not to participate in the mandatory NYSC scheme and other engagements that would have enabled us to harvest their data.”
The Minister expressed concern over the use of these fake certificates to secure employment in both government and private sectors, to the detriment of qualified individuals who studied diligently in accredited institutions.
“Sadly, these people have used the fake certificates to apply and secure job opportunities in government and private organizations with the mindset that they schooled abroad, while people who studied day and night are out there looking for job opportunities,” he lamented.
Mamman further highlighted that many of these unaccredited universities are not authorized to offer degree programs even within their own countries.
He noted that some of the individuals involved did not physically attend the institutions but still managed to obtain certificates.
In response to this growing issue, the Minister confirmed that a circular is being prepared by the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation.
This directive will mandate the identification and prosecution of individuals holding these fake certificates.
“Private sector operators are also encouraged to carry out further investigations on their staff who are parading foreign certificates and ensure that anyone parading a certificate obtained from these countries between 2019 and 2023 is fished out and handed over to the Federal Ministry of Education for prosecution,” Mamman stated.
However, the Minister clarified that only five universities in Benin Republic and three in Togo are accredited to offer degree programs.
Individuals who have earned degrees from these accredited institutions will be exempt from punitive measures.
