The Federal Government has officially recognized only eight universities in Togo and Benin Republic as accredited institutions authorized to award degrees to Nigerian students. This announcement was made by the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics program.
Mamman disclosed that a significant number of Nigerians—over 22,500—had obtained fake degree certificates from various institutions in these two countries. The government has decided that these fraudulent certificates will be canceled, as they were obtained from universities not recognized by the Nigerian government.
This decision follows the findings of a committee tasked with investigating degree certificate racketeering by both foreign and local universities in Nigeria. The committee’s report, submitted to the Federal Executive Council, highlighted the alarming extent of the problem, including a case where a Nigerian journalist acquired a degree from a university in Benin Republic in less than two months and used it to gain entry into the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
During the program, the Minister clarified that only three institutions in Togo and five in Benin Republic are recognized by the Nigerian government as legitimate degree-awarding institutions. He identified the approved universities in Togo as:
- Université de Lomé
- Université de Kara
- Catholic University of West Africa
In Benin Republic, the accredited institutions are:
- Université d’Abomey-Calavi
- Université de Parakou
- Université Nationale des Sciences, Technologies, Ingénierie et Mathématiques
- Université Nationale d’Agriculture
- Université Africaine de Développement Coopératif
The Minister reiterated the government’s stance that there would be no reversal on the decision to cancel the approximately 22,700 fake certificates issued by unrecognized universities in Togo and Benin Republic. He emphasized that this decision was necessary to protect Nigeria’s reputation, as many of those with fake certificates had not even left Nigeria, obtaining their degrees through illegal means, often in collaboration with corrupt officials.
Mamman further urged the private sector to support the government’s efforts by identifying and removing employees with such fraudulent credentials. He also confirmed that the federal government, through the offices of the Head of Civil Service and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, would work to root out those in government employment who hold fake degrees.
The Minister’s announcement has sparked discussions about the credibility of foreign degrees and the need for stricter regulations to prevent educational fraud in Nigeria.
