The House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions has recommended that the Federal Government reverse its blanket invalidation of degree certificates from the Republics of Benin and Togo, proposing a case by case verification mechanism to address confirmed instances of fraud.
The recommendation was contained in a report considered and approved by the Green Chamber following concerns raised after the Federal Government announced a ban on recognising University degrees from the two West African countries.
The House urged the Federal Government to adopt a case by case verification mechanism to address confirmed instances of fraud, rather than imposing a blanket sanction that affects both legitimate and fraudulent certificate holders.
It also recommended that the Federal Ministry of Education work closely with education authorities in Benin and Togo to strengthen verification frameworks, curb academic fraud and authenticate foreign qualifications.
In addition, the lower chamber suggested that the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Information and the National Orientation Agency, should raise public awareness to educate Nigerians on verifying the accreditation status of foreign institutions and obtaining homologation or equivalence certification where applicable.
The House further called on the Federal Government to ensure that its future policies align with Nigeria's bilateral, regional and international treaty obligations.
In January 2024, the Nigerian government suspended the accreditation and evaluation of degree certificates from Benin Republic and Togo following a report detailing how a degree was acquired from a university in Benin Republic in under two months.
The Ministry of Education spokesperson, Augustina Obilor Duru, stated in a release that the report lent credence to suspicions that some Nigerians deploy nefarious means and unconscionable methods to get a degree with the end objective of getting graduate job opportunities for which they are not qualified.
"The Federal Ministry of Education vehemently decries such acts and, with effect from 2nd January 2024, is suspending evaluation and accreditation of degree certificates from Benin and Togo pending the outcome of an investigation that would involve the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria, the ministries responsible for education in the two countries, the Department of State Security Services, and the National Youth Service Corps," the statement read.
The ministry also called on Nigerians to assist by providing information to help the committee find lasting solutions to prevent future occurrences, noting that the Federal Ministry of Education has been contending with the problem, including illegal institutions located abroad or at home, preying on unsuspecting, innocent Nigerians and some desperate Nigerians who deliberately patronise such outlets.
The then Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, defended the decision, saying that Nigerians who obtained degree certificates from such illegal tertiary institutions were denting Nigeria's image. Appearing on Channels Television's Sunday Politics, he said the measure to invalidate degrees from illegal Universities in Benin Republic and Togo was not harsh, as authorities in the neighbouring Francophone West African countries also judged the concerned schools as fake.
The House of Representatives' recommendation signals a shift towards a more nuanced approach that balances the need to combat academic fraud with the rights of Nigerians who legitimately obtained degrees from accredited institutions in the two countries, while calling for stronger bilateral cooperation to prevent future abuses of the system.
