Nigeria’s Minister of Education recently stated his intention to suspend the recognition of Kenyan and Ugandan diplomas. This announcement comes a few days after the suspension of accreditation of Beninese and Togolese diplomas on suspicion of fraud, as well as of British and American universities based in Nigeria.
Kenyan and Ugandan graduates may soon no longer be able to access the Nigerian job market. The announcement follows a decision by the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Education on January 2 to temporarily suspend recognition of diplomas from universities in Benin and Togo.
These communications were made public after a recent investigation by Nigerian reporter Umar Audu, published in the Daily Nigerian. In the article, the undercover journalist details how he managed to get in touch with a group of Nigerian forgers working with some Beninese university officials to obtain, in less than two months, a diploma from a four-year program delivered by the Cotonou Higher School of Management and Technology.
“We’ve known about this problem for many years, but the Daily Nigerian’s investigation has acted as a wake-up call. We’re not going to stop at Benin and Togo,” said Education Minister Tahir Mamman in an interview with Nigerian TV station Channels on Wednesday.“We are going to extend the procedure to countries like Uganda, Kenya and Niger, where such fraudulent practices have been implemented,” he added.
“I have no sympathy for those who owe false certificates. They are not victims, but part of a criminal chain that should be stopped,” he added.
15,000 Nigerian students affected
Benin’s Director General of Higher Education, Karim Issiaka Youssao, held a press conference on January 5, 2024, in Cotonou to clarify the controversy surrounding the suspension of recognition of university diplomas from Benin and Togo awarded to Nigerian students.
Indeed, he pointed out that most of the diplomas mentioned by Nigeria are issued by private higher education establishments, notably in the English-speaking section not authorised in Benin, as reported by Benin Web TV. Karim Issiaka Youssao welcomed the Nigerian government’s decision to join Benin in the fight against fake diplomas. He stressed the need to strengthen cooperation between the two countries to ensure the quality and validity of academic qualifications.
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in the Republic of Benin, interviewed by TVC News Nigeria, called for leniency regarding the ban on diploma validation, claiming that 15,000 Nigerian students in Benin would be affected by the decision.
On the Ugandan side, the Executive Director of the National Council for Higher Education, Mary Okwakol, told the Daily Monitor that she had received no complaints from Nigeria about the legitimacy of Ugandan university degrees. The director urged anyone with evidence of fake degrees to provide information so that the necessary action could be taken. Neither the Ugandan Ministry of Education nor the Kenyan authorities have responded to the recent allegations.
A series of international investigations
In recent years, incessant strikes at Nigerian public universities, large student numbers and daily power cuts have prompted more and more young Nigerians to turn to private universities, as well as abroad. The neighboring countries of Benin, Ghana and Togo have become the destinations of choice for those seeking faster admission and shorter schooling times.
Nigeria has launched a series of investigations into the ministries and agencies responsible for accrediting university degrees obtained abroad. Mr. Mamman emphasized that this measure is designed to protect Nigerian employers and maintain the integrity of the country’s qualifications.
The National Universities Commission also took the decision on January 5 to remove 18 foreign universities based in Nigeria - mainly American, British and Ghanaian — from the lists of schools accredited by the regulatory body, including London External Studies UK, the study centers of Missouri International University and West African Christian University, all suspected of similar fraud. They have not responded yet.
