The federal government has revealed a shocking discovery of over 22,700 Nigerians holding fake degree certificates from universities in Benin Republic and Togo.
Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, made this disclosure during a press conference marking his first year in office.
Recall that the government had set up a committee in January 2024 to investigate private universities and degree certificate racketeering.
The committee’s report, submitted in July, recommended significant reforms, according to Politics Nigeria.
Mamman stated that between 2019 and 2023, approximately 22,789 Nigerians obtained fake degree certificates, with 21,684 from Benin Republic and 1,105 from Togo.
The Ministry of Education has taken action, disciplining implicated staff members and reviewing the entire unit.
Mamman emphasized that individuals with fake certificates will not be allowed to compete with those who earned their degrees through hard work.
The National Youth Service Corps data played a crucial role in uncovering these cases.
This revelation follows an investigative report exposing a certificate racketeering syndicate operating in Benin Republic and Togo.
“We have taken major steps within the ministry of education.
“Some staff members implicated in this were disciplined, and the entire unit underwent a review. We cannot allow individuals with fake certificates to compete with students who earned their degrees through genuine hard work,” Mamman said.
