The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, has declared that security agencies will pursue individuals found with counterfeit university certificates across the nation.
This announcement comes in the wake of the ongoing investigations by the Federal Government into the operations of university certificate racketeers, as disclosed by the minister during a recent event on Tuesday.
The Federal Government had established an Inter-Ministerial Investigative Committee on Degree Certificate Milling following revelations made in an investigative report by Daily Nigerian. The report exposed the activities of degree mills operating in Benin Republic, where individuals could obtain degrees within a mere six weeks.
The report’s findings led to the Nigerian government imposing a ban on the accreditation and evaluation of degrees from Benin Republic and Togo. Additionally, the committee was tasked with probing Nigerian private universities established within the last 15 years.
A total of 107 private universities established in the last decade and a half were identified during the investigative process. The committee sought public input through the submission of memoranda and conducted visits to institutions in Benin Republic.
During the first quarterly citizens’ engagement event in Abuja, Minister Mamman affirmed the government’s commitment to addressing the issue of fake degrees. He stated, “On the issue of fake degrees, we set up a committee and we expect them to submit their reports soon. Once the report is submitted, I can assure you that individuals with fake certificates will be apprehended. They will be tracked by security agencies.”
Dr. Tanko Sununu, the Minister of State for Education, also highlighted the purpose of the quarterly citizenship engagement, emphasizing its role in fostering awareness of the ministry’s activities. He underscored the engagement’s objectives, which include promoting mutual understanding with stakeholders, enhancing transparency and accountability, and identifying and addressing operational challenges within the sector.
